FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - At a press conference today on North Korea held by Sen. Sam Brownback, Executive Director Joseph R. Crapa of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency, delivered on behalf of the Commissioners the statement below. At the press conference, Sen. Brownback introduced legislation to allow North Korean refugees to apply for refugee status or asylum in the United States.

Statement by Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, June 25, 2003:

Introduction

The Commission commends Senator Brownback for his leadership on this issue and for introducing this timely legislation. We also thank him for giving the Commission an opportunity to join in the call for greater U.S. leadership on addressing the plight of the North Korean people.

The people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea or DPRK) are among the least free on earth, barely surviving under a totalitarian regime that denies basic human dignity and lets them starve while pursuing military might and weapons of mass destruction. By all accounts, there are no personal freedoms of any kind in North Korea, and no protection for human rights.

North Korea is also a humanitarian disaster of unimaginable proportions. Failed economic policies and natural disasters have reportedly left 1 million or more North Koreans dead from starvation and disease in the last 10 years, and there may be countless millions more, particularly children, who are stunted in both their mental and physical growth. As awful as the physical toll has been, the deprivation of the human spirit must be even greater.

Thousands of North Koreans have fled to China in recent years. Refugees who are either forcibly repatriated or captured after having voluntarily returned to the DPRK are accused of treason; those found to have had contacts with South Koreans or Christian missionaries are subjected to severe punishment, including the death penalty.

The ongoing nuclear crisis has made North Korea a top issue on the U.S. foreign policy agenda. However, U.S. efforts to address North Korea's security threat should not be limited to the dismantling of that country's nuclear weapons program. Efforts should also be directed toward the root of the problem, which is the existence of a North Korean regime that has not only terrorized the world, but also brutally oppressed its own people. The U.S. government should lead the international effort to end the plight of the North Korean people.

Religious Freedom Conditions

Religious freedom does not exist, and what little religious activity that is permitted by the government appears staged for foreign visitors. The Commission has received reports that officials have arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes executed North Korean citizens who are found to have ties with overseas Christian evangelical groups operating across the border in China, as well as those who engage in unauthorized religious activities such as public religious expression and persuasion.

Officials have stratified North Korean society into 51 sub-classes on the basis of family background and perceived loyalty to the regime. Religious adherents are by definition relegated to a lower category than others, receiving fewer privileges and opportunities, such as education and employment. Persons in lower categories have reportedly been denied food aid. The Commission learned from testimony by defectors and experts at its January 2002 hearing that prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs are treated worse than other inmates. Christians are reportedly subject to constant abuse from prison officials in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. When they refuse, these religious prisoners are often beaten and sometimes tortured to death.

Commission Recommendations

The deplorable human rights and humanitarian conditions in North Korea have forced many North Koreans to seek refuge in China. However, while in China, these refugees experience numerous difficulties, particularly from the government's ongoing crackdown on their presence. The Chinese government's reaction has forced the refugees to remain in hiding and many have been exploited and abused as a result. In the light of these circumstances, the U.S. government must take a leadership role to resettle the North Korean refugees. Sen. Brownback's proposed legislation, if passed, would mark an important step in this regard.

In the meantime, however, the U.S. government should press upon China, Russia, and other members of the international community to grant refugee status to North Koreans. The U.S. government should also urge the Chinese government to allow South Koreans and international NGOs greater access to northern China and greater capacity to serve the needs of North Korean refugees.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency, wrote to President Bush asking him to raise with President Musharraf, during their June 24 meeting, U.S. concerns about forces of intolerance that have gained ground in Pakistan. The legislature in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, which is dominated by a coalition of Islamist political parties, recently passed legislation imposing social controls reminiscent of the former Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan. National discriminatory legislation such as the blasphemy and anti-Ahmadi laws also create an atmosphere of religious intolerance and hatred throughout.

USCIRF Chair Felice Gaer said, "The right to freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right that must be protected in order to facilitate the political and economic development that will blunt the appeal of extremists who incite religious hatred and foment international terrorism. Successive governments of Pakistan have seriously violated the religious freedom of Pakistani citizens, and measures taken by the government of Pakistan to protect non-Muslims from violence or to bring attackers to justice have proven wholly inadequate. The United States must, in discussions with the Musharraf government, promote those elements in Pakistan which are under increasing pressure from the forces of intolerance and violence." The text of the letter follows.

Dear Mr. President:

Despite the closer cooperation established between our two governments following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Pakistani government's finding and capturing al-Qaeda leaders, the forces of intolerance have gained ground in Pakistan. Islamist political parties made strong gains in Pakistan's national and provincial legislative elections last October. The legislature in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, dominated by a coalition of these parties, recently passed legislation imposing social controls reminiscent of the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan. Pending provincial legislation would establish religious police and enforcement mechanisms unaccountable to the courts. The potentially negative implications for freedom of expression and for the rights of women are obvious. Moreover, the strength of pro-Taliban Islamists in Pakistan threatens U.S. efforts to promote Afghanistan's political and economic reconstruction.

The right to freedom of religion or belief is a foundational human right that must be protected in order to facilitate the political and economic development that will blunt the appeal of extremists who incite religious hatred and foment international terrorism. We believe that it is in the U.S. national interest to promote those elements in Pakistan, including within the government of President Musharraf, which are under increasing pressure from the forces of intolerance and violence.

Successive governments of Pakistan have seriously violated the religious freedom of Pakistani citizens. Allegations, often false, under Pakistan's blasphemy laws result in lengthy detention of and sometimes violence against individuals because of their religious affiliation or beliefs. Ahmadis are prevented by law from engaging in the full practice of their faith and face criminal penalties for "posing" as Muslims. Ahmadis who refuse to disavow their claim to being Muslims are also disenfranchised.

Discriminatory national legislation such as the blasphemy and anti-Ahmadi laws help create an atmosphere of religious intolerance and hatred in Pakistan. Since U.S. military action began in Afghanistan, Christian institutions in Pakistan repeatedly have been targeted by religious extremists, resulting in over 50 deaths. American journalist Daniel Pearl was murdered after having been forced to "confess" his religion as Jewish. Measures taken by the government of Pakistan to protect non-Muslims from violence or to bring attackers to justice have proven wholly inadequate.

The Commission therefore recommends that you urge President Musharraf to:

-- work toward the abolishment or reform of discriminatory or abusive legislation such as the blasphemy laws and the anti-Ahmadi legislation;

-- protect all of Pakistan's citizens and lawful institutions, including places of worship and religiously-affiliated schools, hospitals, and civic organizations, from sectarian or religiously-motivated violence;

-- bring to justice the perpetrators of violent attacks and their backers;

-- ensure that legislation in the North West Frontier Province does not violate international standards of human rights, including religious freedom;

-- remove legal impediments to Ahmadis exercising their right to vote on an equal basis with other Pakistani citizens;

-- discourage the use of "jihadist" or similar political rhetoric inciting hatred against any religious group;

-- oppose attempts, undertaken ostensibly to protect religion, to stifle public debate or the right to freedom of expression;

-- lend his personal prestige to interfaith dialogue and inter-communal harmony by bringing Muslim and non-Muslim spiritual leaders and religious scholars together to promote religious tolerance and respect for human rights; and

-- intensify his government's efforts to improve the quality of public education and to ensure that religious schools are not used as training grounds for terrorism and sectarian violence.

Thank you for your consideration of the Commission's views.

Sincerely yours,

Felice D. Gaer

Chair

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - Commission Vice Chair Michael K. Young of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency, will hold a press conference on Commission recommendations for the President, Secretary of State, and Congress on North Korea. The international community has paid insufficient attention to the plight of the North Korean people. At a time when the United States is working with several Asian countries to address the crisis in North Korea, USCIRF is providing policy recommendations for advancing human rights, including religious freedom, as part of U.S. policy toward North Korea. Commissioner Young will discuss the policy recommendations and take questions from the press.

When:Thursday, June 12, 2003, 4:15-5:00 p.m.

Where:Senate Dirksen Building, Room 628 (SD-628), 1st and C Streets, NE

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.