International Symposium on North Korean Human Rights
Public Awareness Week
In June 2006, the North Korean Human Rights Law was established in Japan. This law specifies December 10-16 as the North Korean Human Rights Week and resolves that both governmental and regional institutions shall put forth efforts to increase public awareness of human rights violations by North Korea.
In 2004, the United States passed the North Korean Human Rights Act, and in December 2005, Japan’s General Assembly adopted its Resolution on North Korean Human Rights. This issue, also drawing widespread attention in Europe, has now become international in scope.
NGOs in Japan, with a view to putting the spirit of the law into practice, have often emphasized the importance of cooperation. The NGOs concerned are therefore taking the initiative in realizing this special event.
Severe human rights violations plus the ongoing food crisis have resulted in some 100,000 North Korean defectors fleeing to China. Since they are refused refugee status by the Chinese government, they must remain in hiding.
The Chinese government maintains that “there are no refugees from North Korea,” insisting that “they are all illegal migrants.” Thus, the Chinese government forcibly repatriates them to North Korea where they face inhuman treatment, torture and often death.
Women refugees often become victims of human trafficking, being sold into forced marriages with Chinese men.
Equally appalling, the North Korean government is known to have abducted innocent civilians from Lebanon, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. While the number of such abductees is unknown, the anguish and pain of their family members are beyond words.
Given the great opportunity of this initiative, it is our aim to focus international attention upon North Korean human rights violations. Special guests and experts are invited to help address the issues, resulting in suggestions for policies and practical solutions.
| Japan Executive Committee | |
|
•
|
Life Funds for North Korean Refugees (LFNKR) |
|
•
|
The Society to Help Returnees to North Korea |
|
•
|
Rescue The North Korean People ! Urgent Action Network (RENK) |
|
•
|
The National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea |
|
•
|
The Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea |
|
•
|
The Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to N. Korea |
|
•
|
Japan Lawyers Association for Human Rights Protection in North Korea |
| US Executive Committee | |
|
•
|
Freedom House |
|
•
|
North Korea Freedom Coalition |
NORTH KOREA FREEDOM WEEK — EVENT 1
| Date: | December 10, 2006 |
| Venue: | Sainokuni Saitama Arts Theater |
| Tel: | 81-048-858-5500 |
| Transportation: | West Exit of YONOHONMACHI JR Saikyo Line, 30 minutes from Shinjuku |
| Eligibility: | Open to anyone (registration required) |
| Fee: | Free |
| Language(translation): | Japanese-English, English-Korean, Korean-Japanese |
Program
| 09:30 | Open/ Registration |
| 10:00 | Greetings from organizer, Prof. Fumiaki Yamada, Representative, The Society to Help Returnees to North Korea (Mamoru-kai) |
Session 1 Truth About North Korea Through Film Images
How the people affected see the “Return to Paradise Campaign” versus its reality
| Screening the Chonlima and panel discussion | ||
|
Moderator: Secretary General, Kotaro Miura, Mamoru-kai
|
||
|
10:30 Screening of “ Chonlima”
|
||
|
11:30 Panel Discussion
|
||
|
Panelists
|
||
|
1.
|
Mr. Song Yung-bok Bureau Chief of Kanto Area, Mamoru Kai | |
|
2.
|
Mindan (Korean Residents Union in Japan) | |
|
3.
|
Mr. Ryo Hagiwara Author | |
|
12:00 Lunch break
|
||
Session 2 North Korean Human Rights & Rescue Operation
| Moderator: Mr. Jiro Ishimaru (journalist) | |
| Discussion points: | |
|
•
|
Testimony of a North Korean refugee |
|
•
|
Persecution of humanitarian activists |
|
•
|
What can humanitarian NGOs do? |
|
•
|
What can and should be done to increase public awareness and improve the state of human rights violations in North Korea? |
| 13:30 DVD Seoul Train Screening | ||
| 14:30 Greeting from Saitama Governor | ||
| 15:00 Symposium | ||
| Special Speakers | ||
|
1.
|
Hanmih Family North Korean defectors in Japan Consulate Incidents 2002 | |
|
2.
|
Freedom House | |
|
3.
|
Mr. Choi Yong-Hun Humanitarian Aid Worker, Yantai Boat people incident 2003 Due to health considerations following his imprisonment in China, Mr. Choi will be unable to travel to Japan for this event. |
|
|
4.
|
Ms. Suzanne Scholte North Korea Freedom Coalition | |
|
5.
|
Lee Min-bok ex-North Korean Agricultural expert | |
|
6.
|
Prof. Kazuhiro Araki Reprsentative, North Korea Human Rights Radio | |
| 16:30 Q & A | ||
| 17:50 Closing Remarks | ||
NORTH KOREA FREEDOM WEEK — EVENT 2
| Date: | December 12, 2006 |
| Venue: | International Forum 2F in Institute for International Cooperation, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) |
| Tel: | 81-3-3269-3021 |
| Address: | 10-5 Ichigaya Honmura-cho Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 162-8433 JAPAN |
| Website: | http://www.jica.go.jp/english/ contact/map/iic.html |
| Fee: | Free |
| Language: | (Translation) Japanese-English, English-Korean, Korean-Japanese |
Program
| 09:30 Open/Registration | ||
| 10:00 Welcoming Remarks by three Hosts | ||
|
•
|
Mr. Kotaro Miura (the Society to Help Returnees to North Korea) | |
|
•
|
Mr. Shigeru Yokota (Abduction Family Group) | |
|
•
|
Dr. Jae Ku (Freedom House) | |
Session 1 Special Envoy Summit
| Moderator & Speaker: Jennifer L. Windsor, ED of Freedom House |
||
| 10:30 Speeches | ||
|
•
|
Ms. Saiga Fumiko (Japan) | |
|
•
|
Mr. Jay Lefkowitz (US) | |
|
•
|
To be decided (Republic of Korea) | |
|
•
|
Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn (UN Special Rapporteur on NK Human Rights) | |
| 11:30 Q & A | ||
| 12:00 Lunch (not yet confirmed that venue can be used for open reception) |
||
Session 2 How to Prepare for a Mass Influx of North Korea Refugees
|
Moderator: Hiroshi Kato, Secretary General,
Life Funds for North Korean Refugees
|
||
|
13:20 Greetings from Rep. Hiroshi Nakai
(Vice Chairman, Abduction Rescue Congressional Caucus) |
||
|
13:40 Speeches by 7 experts
|
||
|
1.
|
Ms. Kyoko Nakayama (Advisor to PM Abe)
|
|
|
2.
|
Mr. Yutaka Kobayashi (LDP)
|
|
|
3.
|
Mr. Masaharu Nakagawa (DPJ)
|
|
|
4.
|
Mr. Thomas O. Melia (Deputy Executive Director, Freedom House)
|
|
|
5.
|
Ms. Suzanne Scholte (Co-Chairwoman, North Korea Freedom Coalition)
|
|
|
6.
|
Reverend Peter Sohn (American Korean Church Council (KCC))
|
|
|
7.
|
Mr. Yuh Keun-Ie (Mindan Center for Refugees from North Korea)
|
|
|
15:00 Panel Discussion
|
||
|
Discussion points:
|
||
|
Examination of Resettlement and how information from refugees may be strategically used to help victims of abduction and also to understand the lives of suburban inhabitants in NK.
|
||
|
Panelists
|
||
|
1.
|
American Korean Church Council
|
|
|
2.
|
Freedom House
|
|
|
3.
|
Ms. Suzanne Scholte
|
|
|
4.
|
Mindan
|
|
|
5.
|
Life Funds for North Korean Refugees
|
|
|
17:00 Closing Remarks
|
||