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North Korea overtakes Saudi Arabia atop Open Doors' persecution list
BP (10.09.2002)/ HRWF International Secretariat (17.09.2002) - Website htp://www.hrwf.net - Email info@hrwf.net - For the first time, North Korea has replaced Saudi Arabia as the country where Christians are most severely persecuted, according to Open Doors' "World Watch List" released in August.
The World Watch List, released twice each year, ranks countries according to the level of persecution Christians face for following Jesus Christ, based on evaluations and testimonies obtained by Open Doors indigenous contacts, field workers and members of persecuted churches.
For years, Saudi Arabia had held the top spot on the list. The desert kingdom, which sees itself as the guardian of Islam and its sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, requires all its citizens to be Muslims. A Saudi who converts to another religion faces the death penalty for apostasy.
But growing reports of severe oppression in North Korea have confirmed what many observers have believed for years, that the communist dictatorship of Kim Jong Il is intent on eradicating all belief systems other than the worship of Kim himself and his deceased father, Kim Il Sung. Both father and son have an ongoing record of attempting to purge the land of Christians.
Nevertheless, the church has survived in North Korea. Christian refugees escaping North Korea's devastating famine have told of small house churches in country. They rarely number more than 10 individuals, often including only family members for security precautions. One refugee told of how a house church of 20-30 people simply disappeared in 2000.
"Imagine how nearly impossible it is for Christians to survive and the Christian faith to grow in North Korea as it takes over first place in the hall of shame of countries repressing the free expression of Christianity," said Terry Madison, president/CEO of Open Doors USA. "And yet, despite its cruel punishment and death to believers, indications are that the church in North Korea continues to grow despite the best efforts of the government."
Until this year, Madison noted, "For as many years as Open Doors has published its World Watch List, Saudi Arabia has had the dubious label of being ranked as the most difficult country in the world in which to be a Christian." Among the abuses there: Arrests by the religious police, torture, imprisonment, deportation for foreign workers and death for nationals who convert to Christianity.
Ranked third on the list is the Southeast Asian nation of Laos, where government authorities accuse Christians of causing religious division. Officials make every effort to tightly control Christian activities, including holding indoctrination classes to re-educate believers.
Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia round out the top 10, listed respectively in order of their ranking. Six of the top 10 countries are governed by Islamic regimes. One -- Bhutan -- is predominately Buddhist and three -- Laos, Vietnam and Turkmenistan -- are communist-ruled.
Included on the list, from Nos. 11-25, are Iran, China, Sudan (government controlled areas), Myanmar (Burma), Egypt, Azerbaijan, Nigeria (north), Yemen, Comoros, Colombia, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Brunei and Morocco. China is home to possibly the world's largest number of Christians, numbering between 60-90 million with an estimated 10,000-25,000 converts a day.
Rounding out the list are Nos. 26-50: Tunisia, Iraq, Russian Federation (the Muslim republics of Chechnya, Kabardino, Balkarya and Dagestan), Libya, Tajikistan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Turkey, Mexico (state of Chiapas), United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Kurdistan, Oman, Mauritania, Algeria, Malaysia, Syria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Kenya (northeast) and Belarus.
The Brother Andrew-founded Open Doors will celebrate 50 years of ministry in 2005. Based in Santa Ana, Calif., the ministry delivers Bibles and other study materials, provides literacy training, pastoral training and advocacy on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ.
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Vatican envoys visit North Korea, bringing the pope's solidarity
AP (16.05.2002)/ HRWF (17.05.2002) C Website http://www.hrwf.net C E-mail info@hrwf.net- Two papal diplomats have visited North Korea as part of the Vatican's campaign to keep up good relations with the government there, the Holy See said Thursday.
It was the sixth time that top Vatican officials had gone to North Korea.
The visit, by Monsignors Celestino Migliore and Luis Mariano Montemayor, "reaffirmed the constant solidarity of the Holy Father for the North Korean population and contributed to giving continuity to the relations established with the government authorities of Pyongyang, particularly with the Foreign Affairs Ministry."
The Vatican delegates held talks with leaders of a local Catholic organization and celebrated Ascension Day services with the local and international Catholic community there.
Two years ago, South Korea's president said that North Korea had expressed a willingness to invite the pope to visit the communist country, but no firm plans have materialized.
North Korea does not encourage religion among its tightly controlled population of 22 million. It built three churches two Protestant and one Roman Catholic in the late 1980s.
The Vatican began diplomatic and humanitarian missions to North Korea in 1996. John Paul has given thousands of dollars from his charities to famine-stricken North Korea.
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Religious freedom conditions in North Korea
Presentation to the Third International Conference
on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees
John Tai
Policy Analyst
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
In North Korea, the state severely represses public and private religious activities, including arresting and imprisoning - and in some cases torturing and executing - persons engaged in such activities. The Commission has received several reports indicating that North Koreans who are engaging in religious proselytizing or other unauthorized religious activities have been arrested and imprisoned, despite the DPRK government's claims that its citizens have the right to "have or refuse to have religious ceremonies individually or collectively in an open or closed way" and "to teach religion".[i]
Since July 1999, there have been new reports (from escaped refugees and other firsthand sources) of ongoing torture and execution of religious believers, including between 12 and 23 Christians on account of their religion. While the practice of imprisoning religious believers is apparently widespread, the State Department has been unable to frilly document the number of religious detainees or prisoners. According to a press report, an estimated 6,000 Christians are incarcerated in "prison No. 15" located in the northern part of the country. Eyewitnesses have testified before Congress and the Commission that prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs are treated worse than other inmates. They reported that religious prisoners, especially Christians, were given the most dangerous tasks while in prison. In addition, they were subjected to constant abuses from prison officials in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. When they refused, these religious prisoners were beaten and tortured to death. Despite these eyewitness accounts, the DPRK stated in its report to the Human Rights Committee that it "prohibits by law any cruel and inhuman punishment".[ii]
Furthermore, it appears that contrary to the North Korean government's assertion, religious followers are not free to construct religious buildings and facilities. In fact, since the founding of the DPRK, more than 1,500 churches have reportedly been destroyed. While the State Department reports that there are 300 Buddhist temples throughout North Korea, other reports indicate that only 60 temples remain standing as most have been destroyed since the Korean War. At the same time, the state has confiscated many churches and temples and has converted them for secular use. These structures reportedly do not appear to be in active religious use.
Newly constructed places of worship are controlled by the government for the purpose of international public relations, rather than to protect the religious freedom of North Koreans. In 1988, two Protestant churches and a Roman Catholic church (without a priest) opened in Pyongyang. Apparently, several foreign residents regularly attend services held at these churches. But other foreign visitors report that there does not appear to be any ongoing public religious activity by North Koreans or that whatever public religious activity exists appears to be staged for their benefit. Moreover, the existing Buddhist temples in North Korea are essentially cultural relics that are maintained by married clergy, a status for Buddhist monks that is inconsistent with Korean tradition.
In its response to the Human Rights Committee's "List of Issues," the DPRK government stated that: "State and religion [are] clearly separated," and that the "government is not involved in any kind of religious activities," nor does it "display any discrimination on them." However, in recent years, the state has forrned several religious organizations that it uses (ironically) to severely restrict religious activities. For example, the Korean Buddhist Federation prohibits Buddhist monks from worshiping at North Korean temples, and the Korean Christian Federation restricts Christian activities.
Moreover, North Korean officials have apparently stratified the society into 51 specific categories on the basis of family background and perceived loyalty to the regime. Religious adherents are by definition relegated to a lower category receiving fewer privileges and opportunities (for example, in education or employment) than others. Persons in lower categories have reportedly been denied food aid. North Korean Christians are viewed with additional suspicion, as they are adherents of a religion that is "foreign" in the mind of the government, despite Christianity's long history throughout the Korean peninsula. Again, these reports call into question the government's assertion that all DPRK "citizens are ensured all the rights recognized in the [ICCPR] without distinction of any kind," including religion.[iii]
North Korean Refugees
There may be as many as 300,000 North Korean refugees in China who have fled to escape dire conditions in the DPRK, including the denial of religious freedom in that country. Since 2000, North Koreans residing in border areas within China have been forcibly repatriated. According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees, North Korean refugees who are caught and forcibly repatriated to the DPRK are subjected to brutal treatment that includes torture, placement in work camps, and even execution.
The Commission is alarmed by reports that North Korean refugees who are religious followers, especially Christians, are subjected to particularly brutal treatment after being caught and repatriated to North Korea. As one panelist stated in his testimony to the Commission's hearing:"Anyone found to be a Christian is either summarily executed or sent to completely controlled political prison camps from which no one is expected to come out alive."[iv]
Conclusion
The lack of even the most basic information about religious freedom in the DPRK's second periodic report to the Human Rights Committee bears this out, and the Committee sensibly asked for further details. As another example, the DPRK government has not responded to a request by the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance for an official invitation to visit the country.
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[1] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraph 111
[1] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraphs 41-45
[1] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraph 15
[1] Kim Sang-Chul, U-S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Hearing on Promoting Religious Freedom in North Korea, January 24, 2002
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Hearing set on abuses by North Korea
by Kim Jin
JoongAng Ilbo (January 12, 2002) / HRWF (16.01.2002) C Website http://www.hrwf.net C E-mail info@hrwf.net C WASHINGTON C The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom plans to open a public hearing on human rights, including religious oppression in North Korea, here on Jan. 24.
It is the first public hearing on North Korea hosted by an institution of the U.S. government since George W. Bush took office. The panel plans to hear testimony from North Korean defectors.
Several American civic groups and government officials that monitor human rights in North Korea will testify as well as a German doctor, Norbert Vollertsen, who was expelled from North Korea last year for speaking out against Pyongyang's rights abuses.
Lawrence J. Goodrich, the spokesman for the commission, said no further details could be revealed on the hearing. He said that the defectors would give testimony on human rights violations and religious oppression in North Korea.
The commission reports annually on the status of religious freedoms in countries around the world and has criticized, along with the U.S. State Department, North Korea's record of religious repression.
(JoongAng Ilbo January 12, 2002)
[i] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraph 111
[ii] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraphs 41-45
[iii] DPKR Second Periodic Report, paragraph 15
[iv] Kim Sang-Chul, U-S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Hearing on Promoting Religious Freedom in North Korea, January 24, 2002
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