[imText1]Defector organizations revealed that “Action group of 1,000 people” had been formed to be proactive in the upcoming presidential election in December. The purpose of these groups is to end the passive attitude of left-wing influences in resolving the issue of human rights in North Korea.
They argued “The government’s Sunshine policy is only fattening the Kim Jong Il regime and neglecting the issue of human rights in North Korea” and declared “This is because the leftist government must be stopped in order to solve North Korea’s human rights and issue of abductees.”
◆ “A thousand or so defectors will participate in North Korean democratization” = Last year, the North Korean Democratization Alliance (Chairperson Hwang Jang Yop) opened a new office and are in preparations of defector forces as it celebrates it’s a generation with ten thousand defectors.
It appears that these groups will proactively argue that the fundamental basis of resolving North Korea’s human rights and abductees issue is only through “North Korea democratization.”
Also, it was announced that 1,000 defectors had come together to voice protection for the rights of national defectors and North Korea democratization movements. The possibility of nongovernmental forces gaining political influence was also forecasted.
On the 28th December, Chairman Hwang Jang Yop said at a defectors general meeting “We have reached a generation of ten thousand defectors. In 2007, we must unite and ensure that our efforts result in the democratization of North Korea” and appealed “Defectors need to stick together and tell the whole world of the brutality of dictator Kim Jong Il’s government.”
Kang Cheol Hwan, secretary for the North Korean Democratization Alliance said in a phone conversation with the DailyNK “In the past, there was no lobby groups focusing on defectors so we could not speak as one voice” and revealed “The North Korean Democratization Alliance will actively help defectors in forming the North Korean Democratization Movement.”
Secretary Kang added “Active political measures will be taken for the right candidacy at the upcoming presidential election so that Kim Jong Il’s violations of human rights are revealed and North Korea’s issues are resolved.”
◆ “End the leftist government” = Not only will defectors show an active and responsive approach at the upcoming presidential election but abductees organizations also.
Views are being gathered on the need of a government who actively tries to solve not only the North Korean human rights issues but the abductees issue also. As long as the North Korea policy has no fundamental change and abductees issue is not incorporated, North Korean issues have a long way to go until it is resolved.
In a telephone conversation with the DailyNK, Lee Mi Il Director of the Korean Abductees’ Family Union said “A person who holds hands with Kim Jong Il cannot stand as the president” and asserted “The next president must be a leader who can speak openly about North Korea and directly face the issue of North Korean human rights.”
Doh Hee Youn President for the Citizens’ Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees (CHNK) said “The next president needs to be a person who believes the North Korean human rights issues as one’s own” and urged “We must choose a president who will really solve the issue of North Korea’s human rights and abductees issue not just uttering makeshift comments to gain votes.”
