[imText1]On the 10th, NGOs for North Korean human rights and members of the Youth and Student league for North Korean human rights held the 8.15 Rally for North Korea Human Rights at the Seoul Kimgoo Museum.
This was the second time the annual rally has been held. 300 people from NGOs, religious organizations, abductee’s families, defectors, and students associations, as well as from the New Right movement association, participated in the rally.
They strongly criticized Kim Jong Il’s anti-human rights policies and the reign of terror, including public executions and political prison camps.
Yoo Se Hee, Co-representative of the Right Society and Citizens Conference, stated that, “The government has been covering up the brutality of the North Korean government with ‘our ethnic alliance’ as a emotional slogan”, adding that, “We should let its brutality be known all over the world”.
He mentioned that, “Not only the U.S., but also European countries are interested in North Korean human rights, yet our government has not been”, adding that, “Until now, the South Korean government has not talked about human rights problems because North Korea did not want it mentioned. The South Korean people need to get together to make it heard.
Lee Dae Yong, former legation in Vietnam, claimed that, “In the Korean Constitution, the North Korean people are our people. So we, as well as the South Korean government, should take control of the recovery of rights,” adding that, “In order to become a free, rich country, North Korea needs to improve its human rights”.
The rally included speeches from Son Jeong Hun, younger brother of Son Jeong Nam, who is supposed to openly executed, witnesses of abductee’s families, North Korean broadcasting, and those organizations related to North Korean human rights.
Son Jeong Hun stated that, “Simply because they were Christians, lost of people were openly executed and tortured,” adding, “My older brother and others will try to improve North Korean human rights”.
He said that, “Organizations and students who participated in the conference should stand together and actively influence the government’s human rights policy”.
Lee Mi Il , the chairperson of The 6.25 War Abductees’ Family Association, criticized that, “North Korea has suddenly canceled the promise of an abductee reunion. This is a violation of morals. We denounce the anti-human rights actions of North Korea”.
Kim Sung Min, representative of Free North Korean Brodcasting, said that, “we have been broadcasting freedom and hope to the North Koreans suffering from starvation and human rights abuses, and we will broadcast until the Kim Jong Il regime ends”.
In the rally, 200 students in support of North Korean human rights, sung songs of their own creation, danced, and performed. Although the theme ‘North Korean human rights’ is a serious topic, students positively participated in the rally and showed creative ideas and opinions.
In addition, the films about public executions and North Korean human rights movement of students were screened and photo gallery of student pictures was held.
Finally, participants adopted a statement saying that they will try to realize the improvement of North Korean human rights. The statement declared ▲ to denounce human rights abuses of the Kim Jong Il regime ▲ to urge the South Korean government to more positively intervene in the North Korean human rights problem ▲ to try to make North Korean democratization come true quickly, without distancing the left and the right.
After the rally, 200 students who belong to The Youth and Students league for North Korean Human Rights went to the Seoul subway station, and campaigned to spread knowledge of the North Korean human rights problem.
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