DFF Continues Activism Worldwide to Promote Freedom, Human Rights: Rallies in Washington, Seoul, and Warsaw
 Washington, D.C. Sin U Nam and Suzanne Scholte, Rev. Thorn Wee Myung, Soon Ok Lee, and many others including the family of jailed American Seung Whan Kim gather to protest Chinese forcible repatriation of North Korean Refugees during the worldwide international protest held on December 22. |
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Before: Terror in China |
Once again, DFF was asked to chair the Resolutions Committee for the International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees held in Warsaw, Poland, and organized by the Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, DFF’s partner in Seoul since 1999. This was the fifth international conference that has been held on this issue and each year DFF has been one of the participating organizations.
DFF also helped lead two protests at the Chinese and the North Korean Embassies in Warsaw, Poland, and distributed three letters signed by conference participants to President George Bush asking for funding to be released to help North Korean refugees; to President Hu Jintao of China requesting that his government stop repatriating North Korean refugees and release humanitarian workers; and to Kim Jong-il demanding he close his political prison camps.
Regarding North Korean refugees, China continues to violate the international agreements it has signed sending helpless and starving North Korean men, women, and children back to North Korea where they face imprisonment, torture, and sometimes execution for leaving the country. Furthermore, China jails humanitarian workers including American citizens for helping these refugees. Because of China’s inhumane policy, DFF started a special list that includes the names of North Koreans who tried to seek asylum and humanitarian workers who are in Chinese jails like South Korean Christian activist Kim Hee-Tae. This list has been read aloud at numerous protest rallies in front of the Chinese embassy. In each instance, DFF has attempted to deliver the list to the Chinese authorities requesting that they account for the refugees they arrested and release the humanitarian workers. At one protest at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Chinese refused to open the door and accept the list, so it was carefully pushed in between the doors. As everyone cheered at the rally, there was a sudden swoosh and a thump — the Chinese had shot the list back out the door refusing to receive it.
According to DFF president Suzanne Scholte, “We sometimes wondered whether our protests were effective but we found out recently how important they were.” During the rally in Warsaw, Poland, the list was read aloud in front of the Chinese embassy. Just a month later, DFF received this email from human rights activist Sang Hun Kim:
“I have very encouraging news for you, Suzanne! As you must have been informed, Mr. Kim Hee-Tae was found “not guilty” by the Chinese court and he is now with me in Seoul. One of the first things he told me was that sometime last March, he managed to keep a radio at night in the prison...and, one night, heard your voice calling his name in front of the Chinese Embassy in Poland through Radio Free Asia. Isn’t it amazing! He was so encouraged and filled with new strength to fight at that time.” Sang Hun Kim
In addition to the protest in Warsaw, DFF also participated in a spontaneous protest in November outside the Chinese embassy in Seoul organized by South Korean Assemblyman Moon-Soo Kim. Sin U Nam and Scholte were in Seoul for the opening of the North Korea Genocide Exhibit when China repatriated over 60 North Korea refugees, mostly women and children.
In December, DFF was asked to be the corepresentative for the International Campaign to Block the Repatriation of the North Korean Refugees. World-wide protests were held on December 22nd at the embassies and consulates offices of the People’s Republic of China. Among the lawmakers participating through written statements were Senator Sam Brownback, Congressmen Chris Cox, Steve Israel, Joseph Pitts, Chris Smith, and Tom Tancredo. Tancredo announced he would be sponsoring a resolution in Congress calling on the Olympic Committee to change the venue of the Beijing Olympics unless China ends its forceful repatriation of North Korean Refugees.