Washington Human rights activists in at least fourteen cities around the world will mark September 24 as a day to fight for the lives of North Korean refugees.  While Current TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now free after their North Korean imprisonment for covering this story, the human rights tragedy continues to unfold as untold thousands of North Korean refugees remain stranded or imprisoned across Asia.

The events will focus on China’s cruel policy of hunting down refugees and forcing them back to North Korea to face torture, imprisonment, and even public execution for fleeing their homeland.  City and country coordinators for the International Protest to Save North Korean Refugees will deliver petitions to Chinese embassies that day calling on the Chinese government to honor their international treaty obligations and work with the international community to resolve the North Korean refugee crisis.

The North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC), which is spearheading the effort, selected September 24 for the events because that is the date in 1982 that China became a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, the very agreement it is violating with its repatriation of North Korean refugees.

“China’s escalating crackdown on the refugees, coupled with the uncertainty in North Korea because of Kim Jong-il’s declining health means this crisis will only worsen,” explained NKFC Chairman, Suzanne Scholte.  “We are not only calling upon China to work with the international community, but are also calling on our government to do more to help resolve this crisis.”

The NKFC will also present three North Korean families who have resettled in the United States at a Sep. 24 press conference across the street from the Department of State in Washington, DC. While the refugees are deeply grateful to the United States for allowing them to resettle here, they want the U.S. government to know the difficulties they faced, as so many North Koreans are still in grave danger.

A letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be delivered to the State Department including a list of recommendations that the U.S. could do to help the refugees.   Of primary importance is persuading China to change its policy of forcibly repatriating refugees to North Korea. But organizers point out the U.S.-North Korean Human Rights Act, which passed the Congress unanimously in 2004 and 2008, has yet to be effectively implemented. The Act calls for the facilitation of North Korean asylum seekers requesting U.S. resettlement, yet only 92 refugees have been resettled in the United States while South Korea has resettled 16,500. North Korean refugees report that once they escape to other countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, asking for resettlement in the U.S. rather than South Korea can lead to years of delay and even the loss of medical care and other privileges.

A list of cities and countries participating is listed below.  For background information, visit www.nkfreedom.org.

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BELGIUM: contact Willy Fautre at Human Rights Without Frontiers at w.fautre@hrwf.net

CANADA: contact Kyung B. Lee and The Council for Human Rights in North Korea (Canada) at kbl928@yahoo.com

NETHERLANDS: contact Annet Meester of Open Doors-Nederlands at AnnetM@opendoors.nl
Motivating prayers for North Koreans with information posted on their website.

POLAND: contact Radek at radekmarketing@yahoo.co.uk

SOUTH KOREA:
Seoul: contact Suh Suk Koo saveuskorea@naver.com
Also note in Seoul: regular prayer campaign and vigils every Friday– details at www.unifykorea2009.com

Busan: contact Pastor Changho Lim limchangho@gmail.com Events in Busan include a protest at the Chinese consulate.

UNITED KINGDOM: contact Alice Jones at alicej@opendoorsuk.org

JAPAN: contact Kan Andoo kanandoj@yahoo.co.jp; In Japan, events will include the delivery of a petition to the PRC Embassy it Tokyo, as well as media interviews and visits to political leaders. He will be working to focus attention on the North Korean refugees and will also work with the Japanese groups focusing attention on the abductees being held in North Korea.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

Chicago: contact Linda Dye of the North Korea Freedom Coalition at  linda.dye@earthlink.net; peaceful protest scheduled from 12 – 2 pm and delivery of a petition; 100 West Erie Street, Chicago, 60610

Houston: contact Captain & Pastor Stephen Na of the Salvation Army Church stephen_na@uss.salvationarmy.org

Los Angeles: Sam Kim and the Korean Church Coalition for North Korea Freedom at samkimesq@hotmail.com; Sam Kim and KCC are organizing a vigil from 11 AM until noon at the Chinese Consulate, 443 Shatto Pl, Los Angeles, California.  In addition, they are hosting a special event on September 25th especially for educating young people about the North Korea human rights crisis.

New York City: Michelle Kim and PSALT will be delivering a petition to the PRC consulate as well as hosting a special prayer vigil that evening. michelle@psaltnk.org

San Francisco: Liz Oh at elizabeth.h.oh@gmail.com

Washington, DC: The North Korea Freedom Coalition and member groups: HANKR (Helping Angels for North Korean Refugees) and 318 Partners will host a press conference with North Korean refugees who have resettled in the USA at 10:00 am across the street from the State Department and deliver a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with action items for the USA to help the North Korean refugees; deliver a petition at noon to the PRC embassy; and host a screening of Crossing at a local restaurant. Contact: Henry Song henry@defenseforum.org at or Hyoju Kim at kimhyoju@gmail.com