skeleton-clad protestors

CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE

For immediate release

April 30 2003

OPENING OF NORTH KOREAN DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION IN LONDON MARKED BY SKELETON-CLAD AND KIM JONG-IL MASKED PROTESTORS

Wednesday 30th April 12:00 – 13:00 at 73 Gunnersbury Avenue, Ealing, London W5

Skeleton-clad and Kim Jong-il masked protestors marked the official opening of the North Korean diplomatic representation in London today.

A group of protestors stood behind the bars of a cell outside the official representation of the North Korean regime on Gunnersbury Avenue, a busy West London street.

The protestors reminded diplomats and businessmen who were at the reception that human rights abuses in North Korea were going on while they were enjoying their food in the afternoon sun.

Chants of ‘Set the prisoners free’ and ‘Human rights for all’ rang out as diplomatic protection officers swept officials into the grounds.

The flag of the North Korean diplomatic representation flew high above the house and a large golden seal stood above the door.

The occasional twitching of curtains from upstairs windows indicated staff inside the building were more than aware the protest was happening.

CSW and Release International put together the protest to register their profound concern at the mistreatment of North Koreans and to assure the regime that the human rights situation there will continue to be closely monitored.

Two skeleton-clad representatives from CSW posted a formal letter to Charge d’Affaires Mr Ri Si-hong, the representative of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, after being refused admission to the forecourt of the suburban house.

Stuart Windsor, National Director of CSW, said: “We’re very pleased to have been able to make this protest, but disappointed we were unable to formally hand over our letter congratulating the Charge d’Affaires on the official opening as well as raising our concerns about the human rights situation.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in North Korea, raising awareness with the UK, US and other governments, as well as MPs and MEPs and the UN until the prison camps are closed and the human rights of ordinary North Korean people are respected by the regime.”

Baroness Caroline Cox, a deputy speaker of the House of Lords and CSW UK President, has just returned from South Korea where she met a number of people who had recently fled to that country from the North.

She said: “This demonstration is here to protest against the well reported atrocities being perpetrated in North Korea today and the suffering of millions through manipulation of aid, deprivation of essential supplies for life and gross violation of human rights.

“It is hoped that the opening of the representation will enable representatives of the regime of Kim Jong-il to become more aware of the widespread dismay over its policies and open to constructive dialogue to improve the situation.”

Eddie Lyle, Executive Director of Release International, said: “Words alone will have little effect upon the dogma and political straitjacket that North Korea has visited upon itself and its peoples. The voice for freedom must be heard. I want to see the Church at the forefront of a concerted campaign to bring an end this flagrant abuse of human rights”.

Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW, said: “Christian Solidarity Worldwide is protesting at the opening of the North Korean representation here in the UK because of the regime’s appalling human rights record. Over 100,000 people are believed to be detained in horrific prison camps where they are deemed to be sub-human beasts and are abused and worked to death.

“It is a disgrace that such barbaric human suffering should be allowed in this day and age. North Korea must reform its human rights practices. Its widespread use of torture, imprisonment, execution, disappearance and arbitrary control over every aspect of life of its 21 million strong population make it arguably the world’s most repressive state.”

CSW was active in lobbying for the recent United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution on human rights in North Korea and has provided high level briefings to ministers, ambassadors, UN experts, parliamentarians and the media.

Our aim is the implementation of universally accepted human rights standards in North Korea. We are also particularly focusing on the closure of the prison camps (evidence for which is supported by satellite photographs published in the media) where more than 100,000 people are held in terrible conditions.

For more information or pictures, please contact Richard Chilvers, Communications Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0045 or 020 8949 0587 A full copy of CSW’s report on human rights abuses in North Korea is available on request or at http://www.csw.org.uk.

Release International which serves persecuted Christians are available on 01689 823491 or at http://www.releaseinternational.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Human rights groups are deeply concerned about the widespread and systematic human rights violations against North Koreans. Amongst the many violations are the systematic use of torture and the use or arbitrary and brutal imprisonment, characterised by violence, extreme deprivation, starvation food rations, intense forced labour, frequent accidents and disfigurement and high death tolls. Further grave sources of injustice are the lack of due process, the regular use of arbitrary and public execution and the punishment of whole families for the crime of one family member.

The severity of the repercussions against individuals and their families mean that North Korea has largely succeeded in silencing reports of the atrocities committed within its borders. Alongside this, the extreme isolation and secrecy of the state has prevented the flow of information out of the country, while restricting freedom for external monitors to enter and assess the country.

A further issue of grave concern is the mistreatment of those North Koreans who have left to go to China and are subsequently repatriated. Cruel treatment awaits many such returnees and those who are deemed to have been in contact with South Koreans and missionaries are subject to especially harsh penalties, such as long term imprisonment or execution. A number of eyewitness accounts report that women who are found to be pregnant by Chinese men are subject to forced abortion where this is possible or, where the pregnancy is more advanced, are kept in detention until they give birth, when their baby is them smothered to death in front of them.

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