FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress, tomorrow will release its report and recommendations on North Korea during a Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefing on human rights in North Korea. Commission Chair Michael K. Young will testify about the Commission's findings on religious freedom violations and its recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress on how U.S. foreign policy can promote religious freedom and other human rights in North Korea. Also testifying will be the Hon. Lorne W. Craner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and other experts on North Korea.

What:Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefing on human rights in North Korea, chaired by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

Where:Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2203.

When:Wednesday, April 17, 1:30pm - 3:00pm.

Background:The people of North Korea are perhaps the least free people on earth - religious freedom does not exist there. The country is also a humanitarian disaster of unimaginable proportions. The Commission has extensively studied the situation there, including holding a public hearing in January 2002. The Commission's recommendations to the Administration and Congress call for increased U.S. and international efforts against human rights violations in North Korea, help for North Korean refugees in China, and the promotion of religious freedom through official U.S.-North Korean contacts.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Six Commissioners are appointed by the leadership of Congress and three by the President.

Chairman Young will be available to members of the press for interviews after his remarks. Copies of the report will be available at the press conference and on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov.

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." 

Michael K. Young,Chair

• Felice D. Gaer, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Tad Stahnke, Acting Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress, today deplored the recent spate of attacks on synagogues, other Jewish sites, and individuals in France and Belgium. Several synagogues were seriously damaged by firebombing and one in Marseille burned to the ground. Shots were fired at a kosher shop, a Jewish couple was attacked on the street, a bus full of schoolchildren was stoned, and high school soccer players were beaten by a gang wielding metal bars.

The attacks are the latest in a series of anti-Semitic violence that has plagued the two countries since October 2000. More than 400 incidents have been documented in France since then.

"These attacks on Jews in France and Belgium are despicable" said Michael K. Young, the Commission's Chair. "We hope the French government, in particular, will follow through on its recent statements to track down the perpetrators and hold them to account; making it clear such behavior will not be tolerated in France. The U.S. government should follow this issue carefully and urge the French authorities to treat these incidents with the seriousness they deserve."

Chairman Young noted that the remarks of President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, and key Muslim leaders strongly condemning the anti-Semitic attacks in France were important indicators of a new concern over this issue which are welcomed by all who seek to end intolerance and violence against Jews in France.

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." 

Michael K. Young, Chair

• Felice D. Gaer Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Tad Stahnke, Acting Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WHAT:The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom will hold a press conference to release its new recommendations on promoting religious freedom in Sudan. Repeating its view that Sudan is "the world's most violent abuser of the right to freedom of religion and belief," the Commission will call on the Bush administration and Congress to step up efforts to help end that country's 18-year civil war. The fighting has killed some 2 million people and displaced 4 million others. Commissioner David Saperstein will conduct the press conference.

WHEN:Wednesday, March 21, 2001 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 790 (USCIRF office)

BACKGROUND:In its latest report, the Commission finds that since last May, the government of Sudan has intensified the deliberate air raids on civilian and humanitarian targets. While the Clinton Administration did take some steps to address the situation, including successfully working to prevent Sudan from taking a seat at the UN Security Council and earmarking aid to communities in southern Sudan and to the political opposition - the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - these actions fell well short of the comprehensive, sustained campaign that the Commission believes is commensurate with the Sudanese government's abuses. The Commission will urge the Bush Administration to mount such a campaign. Copies of the report will be available at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 21 and can be obtained by contacting the Commission's communications department at (202) 523-3240. The report can also be found on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov.

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." 

Hon. Elliott Abrams,Chair

• Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, Vice Chair, Rabbi David Saperstein, Laila Al-Marayati, M.D.Hon. John R. Bolton, Dean Michael K. Young, Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, Nina Shea, Justice Charles Z. Smith, Ambassador Robert Seiple, Ex-Officio, Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director