[USFK Forums] Congressional Hearing on NK Refugees

[C. Y. Lee]

[Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Friday, October 21, 2005] Attached is an e-mail received this morning from Ms. Suzanne Scholte(Skswm@aol.com), President, Defense Forum Foundation, which is self-explanatory:

Dear Friends:

Three very important items:

Congressional Hearing on North Korea Next Thursday, October 27: I am pleased to forward the official notice for the hearing Congressman Chris Smith and Congressman Jim Leach will co-chair to address the trafficking of North Korean women, the plight of the refugees, Free North Korea Radio and VOA and RFA and implementing the North Korea Human Rights Act.

We were pleased to help make arrangements for Free North Korea Radio Director KIM Seung Min, Mrs. CHA Kyeong Sook and Mrs. MA Soon Hee, two brave and wonderful women who were not only personally victims of trafficking but saw their daughters sold as well; and Tim Peters, who heads Helping Hands Korea and has been rescuing, sheltering, and saving the lives of North Korean refugees for many years, to be able to participate in this hearing. We hope their powerful testimony will help spur greater action on the implementation of the NK Human Rights Act! See hearing notice below which will also include Kelu Chao of VOA and Daniel Southerland of RFA. .

2) North Korea Feedom Coalition Meeting (October 25) and Special Prayers (October 26) -- as previously announced and to coincide with this important hearing next week, there will be a meeting of the North Korea Freedom Coalition next Tuesday to discuss everything that we can do as individuals and NGOs to help the people of North Korea. NGO leaders from Japan (leadership of the Japanese Rescue Movement!), South Korea, North Korea (Defectors organizations) and USA will participate. The following day there will be a very special prayer meeting as well.

3) MRS. PARK IS FREE AND NOW "SAFE" IN ROK -- Since my last email, I am pleased to report that Mrs. Park is Free -- She is the brave North Korean women who lost her feet from torture and beatings for the "crime" of leaving North Korea and vowed to crawl to South Korea. She was one of the focuses of our August 20 protest rally and she is finally safe in South Korea having gotten safe passage out of Thailand thanks to the constant and continued efforts of the Citizens Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees.

Until they are ALL Free (North Koreans, POWs, and Abductees, too!),
Warmest regards,
Suzanne

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING NOTICE FOLLOWS:


JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING NOTICE
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515



SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

and

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey, Chairman

James A. Leach, Iowa, Chairman



October 20, 2005



TO: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS



You are respectfully requested to attend the following OPEN joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building:

DATE: Thursday, October 27, 2005

TIME: 1:30 p.m.

SUBJECT: Lifting the Veil: Getting the Refugees Out, Getting Our Message In: An Update on the Implementation of the North Korean Human Rights Act

WITNESSES: Panel I

Ms. Kelu Chao

Associate Director for Language Programming

Voice of America

Mr. Daniel Southerland

Vice President for Programming

Radio Free Asia

Panel II

Mrs. Ma Soon Hee

North Korean Refugee

Mrs. Cha Kyeong Sook

North Korean Refugee

Mr. Kim Seung Min

Director

Radio Free North Korea

Mr. Tim Peters

Founder/Director

Helping Hands Korea

By Direction of the Chairman

The Committee on International Relations seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202/225-5021 at least four business days in advance of the event, whenever practicable. Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

[mike]

It is good to see there is some action being taken on the behalf of the U.S. government. I would say, until the U.S. public is more informed on the North Korean issue (besides nukes), not much will happen. I posted earlier about the U.S. passing a bill against China for their policy on returning North Korean refugees. There are some actions being taken, but not enough in my opinion.

Mike