Category Archives: United Nations
Open Letter to Xi Jinping
Dear Mr. President:
We call on the Chinese government to stop the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors
On October 9th, the Chinese government forcibly repatriated approximately 600 North Korean defectors who had been arrested and detained during the coronavirus period.
North Korea had refused to accept defectors repatriated from China due to coronavirus prevention measures, but after declaring victory over the coronavirus, it reopened the border between North Korea and China.
Why No Reports on NK Refugee Rescue Activities
Last month, the United Nations announced the appointment of Elizabeth Salmon as the new UN special rapporteur for North Korean human rights. This signifies official recognition that the North Korean human rights issue has not yet been resolved. Further, many of those familiar with the situation feel that conditions have actually worsened for the people of North Korea.
Save North Korean Refugees Day 2020
LETTER OF PETITION
September 24, 2019 is the annual Save North Korean Refugees Day, organized by the North Korean Freedom Coalition. As a member of the Coalition, LFNKR has sent out Letters of Petition to the Chinese embassy and all the consulates in Japan, urging China’s president Xi Jinping to provide North Korean refugees with fair treatment according to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a document which China signed and ratified on September 24, 1982.
Inhumane Repatriation
LFNKR strongly protest the forced repatriation of two North Korean fishermen requesting asylum
The Unification Ministry of South Korea has issued a press release stating that on November 7, the government handed over two North Korean fishermen to North Korean officials at the border village of Panmunjeon in the demilitarized zone.
Mapping Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea
New Report on Rights Abuses
Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a Seoul-based non-governmental organization, published on July 19 a report entitled “Mapping Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea.”
Providing information on the killing sites, mass graves, and documentary evidence, the report adds to the report more specific information to the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in DPRK” by UN Human Rights Council.
LFNKR applauds the great efforts of TJWG to prepare this unique report. It has already generated new momentum for thoroughly investigating the crimes against humanity in North Korea.
Mapping Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea
Deepest Condolences for American Student Warmbier
STATEMENT
Deepest Condolences for American Student Warmbier
Mr. Otto Warmbier, the US student released in coma by North Korea last week after 18 months in detention, died on June 19, according to AFP news on June 20, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Warmbier
LFNKR sincerely prays for the repose of his soul and we offer heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his family and to the US people.
URGENT APPEAL
On the Human Rights Situation in North Korea
February 6, 2016
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January of this year despite the suffering of its people. Although North Korea claims that it was a hydrogen bomb, questions remain due to the nature of the seismic activity associated with the blast.
The North Korean government announced that the hydrogen bomb test “firmly protects the sovereignty of the country and the dignity of the nation…and reliably safeguards the peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional security” and even now is going ahead with missile launches.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
From Hiroshi Kato, Executive Director,
Life Funds for North Korean Refugees
Wishing all of you health and prosperity in the New Year
It appears that North Korea has succeeded in establishing a three-generation political dynasty. However, the UN has passed resolutions condemning the North’s human rights abuses, calling them grave, widespread, systematic abuses that amount to crimes against humanity. The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution critical of the DPRK with the support of 119 countries.