N. Korea listed as eight worst abusers of religious freedom: State Dept. By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States Monday listed North Korea as among the eight worst offenders of religious freedom, saying the reclusive communist state severely restricts religious activity.

The 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom put the North on the list of
"countries of specific concern" for the ninth consecutive year since 2001.
The seven others are Iran, Myanmar, China, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and
Uzbekistan.
North Korea "severely restricted religious activity, except that which was
supervised tightly by officially recognized groups linked to the government," the
report said. "Genuine religious freedom does not exist."
The report cited North Korean defectors as saying that "they witnessed the
arrests and execution of members of underground Christian churches by the regime
in prior years," and that religious persons and "those repatriated from China and
found to have been in contact with foreigners or missionaries have been arrested
and subjected to harsh penalties."
It also said that the Pyongyang government "does not allow representatives of
foreign governments, journalists, or other invited guests freedom of movement
that would enable them to fully assess human rights conditions or confirm
reported abuses."
The U.S. State Department issued an annual human rights report in February
expressing concerns about human trafficking and repatriation of North Korean
refugees, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in May
listed North Korea among 12 nations where freedom is squashed.
To address concerns over human rights abuses in the North, U.S. President Barack
Obama appointed Robert King, a former congressional aide, as special envoy for
North Korean human rights last month, replacing Jay Lefkowitz, who quit in
January after three years of service.
Under the North Korean Human Rights Act, Bush appointed Lefkowitz in 2005 as
special envoy on North Korean human rights affairs and provided financial aid to
help improve North Korea's human rights and accept North Korean defectors into
the U.S.
Congress approved a year ago the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act
for another four-year run, calling for "activities to support human rights and
democracy and freedom of information in North Korea," as well as "assistance to
North Koreans who are outside North Korea," and 12-hour broadcasting to North
Korea.
In his final report, Lefkowitz in January urged Obama to emphasize human rights
in the multilateral nuclear talks and proposed that the U.S. and its allies link
any aid to Pyongyang with human rights improvements.
Lefkowitz was denied access to North Korea while in office, although he
frequently visited South Korea and China to write reports on North Korea's human
rights situation.
On South Korea, the religious freedom report said, "The government generally
respected religious freedom in practice. There were no reports of societal abuses
or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice, and
prominent societal leaders took positive steps to promote religious freedom."
However, it took note of the plight of conscientious objectors to the mandatory
24-month military service who face up to three years in prison.
"Watchtower International, a Jehovah's Witnesses organization, reported that as
of April 1, 2009, there were 465 Jehovah's Witnesses and a handful of others
serving an average of 14 months in prison for conscientious objection to military
service," the report said. "An additional 99 Jehovah's Witnesses were in various
stages of litigation and are not in detention."
The Ministry of National Defense recently said that it would not pursue the
introduction of an alternative service for conscientious objectors, citing lack
of public support.
The Constitutional Court has ruled the law punishing conscientious objectors
constitutional.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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