Before I moved to South Korea, I barely knew anything about the North. Infact, many people back home only hear about what new provocative act the North has done, or how likely it is that war will break out with the South. Sometimes, in the media hype, it's easy to imagine the North as the face of the dictator it is forced under. It's easy to forget the millions of people living there without freedom or human rights.
Inside North Korea, people live with a severe lack of freedom. There is almost no freedom of speech, religion, assembly, movement, and no-one may leave the country without permission. Education and healthcare are limited almost entirely to the elite. Going against the government in any way, whether by accident or intention, leads to sentence within political prison camps, often with no hope of release. More than 150,000 prisoners are estimated to be living in such camps, and many do not know what 'crime' they committed. 'Guilt by Association' allows people to be sentenced for 'crimes' committed by family or aquaintances. The lack of legal protection in North Korea allows atrocoties to occur, such as using prisoners for medical experimentation, and allowing torture and starvation. Children are born into the camps and live under these conditions their entire lives.
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| Shin Dong-Hyuk was born in slavery into Camp No 14. |
An interview with Shin Dong-Hyuk, Born And Raised In A Concentration Camp, gives a first hand impression of the life in a North Korean politcal camp. (The interview is 21 minutes into the clip.) Coming from a western society, it's hard to imagine not knowing the meaning of freedom.
So what can be done about this terrible situation? Well, promoting awareness is the start - the more people who know about it, the more people will campaign and lobby against it. Spread the word. Campaign. Sign petitions. Wherever in the world you are!
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And us here in South Korea? Over 20,000 North Koreans have defected into the South, often after months or years hiding in China, Burma, Thailand or Vietnam. The refugees are often poorly educated and malnourished, and struggle adapting to the commercialised culture of South Korea. There are several North Korean human rights groups based in Seoul who need volunteers. Click on the link to see how you can help out.
Justice For North Korea holds street campaigns every Saturday in Insadong, 3-5pm, to raise awareness of the plight of North Koreans. They also organise film screenings, events and fundraisers to assist North Korean defectors, or those wishing to defect.
PSCORE promotes a successful reunification with the Korean people, and co-ordinates a one-on-one English tutoring programme for refugees.
Helping Hands Korea helps refugees escape by providing secret foster homes in China to North Korean children, and sends food to orphans and schoolchildren in North Korea. They hold a weekly awareness-raising campaign every Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm, near Samgakji Station.
So now we can all get involved. Whether it's supporting a campaign every once in a while, becoming involved in the tutoring programme, or regularly hosting campaigns.....anything will be useful in helping to change the lives of those on the other side of the parallel.
