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2017 International Symposium on North Korean Human Rights

Some of our members were lucky enough to go to the 2017 International Symposium on North Korean Human Rights on the 18th May! The conference focused on the state of Human Rights in North Korea currently, and on finding solutions for improving human rights.

Attending were the the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, and the European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea will co-host the 2017 International Symposium on North Korean Human Rights. The conference brought together policy makers, UN representatives, politicians, North Korean exiles, academics, and members of the public. Topics of dicussion included media access in North Korea, children’s rights, and accountability.

Our chair Laura Bates, was able to attend, and took some interesting notes at the conference:

Seminar 1: Media Access

many people have Chinese phones

peer to pear sharing of information

USB, DVD etc

foreign radio is key to establishing human rights

broadcasted from South Korea

we need to pay attention to content and language

needs to feel relevant and familiar

incredibly low levels of internet access

even elites only have intranet access

digital media

we should look at who is providing blocking software

some are produced in the EU

could be interesting to try broadcasting satellite internet from the border

see if Chinese phones can connect

North Korea has produced many of the best hackers

possibly responsible for the NHS attack

GCHQ has looked into offensive attacks

very small numbers use intranet so there is not much point

perhaps look at spreading false information?

psychological effects of censorship

people don’t know what they think because they can’t discuss

North Koreans are very keen to know what other people about the leadership

if North Korea falls it will be due to a elite coup

so we should focus on them because they are easier to access

foreign attempts to access North Korea

BBC is starting a broadcast in September

US may pass a law to fund media access

leaflet dropping used to happen from South Korea

but 2004 was banned by the government

NGOs continued

but it’s getting harder due to threats of missile attacks

exiles say it is incredibly effective

experiences of exile

she watched South Korean movies and US dramas

she owned a Chinese cell phone

to stay in touch with her mother in China

media exposure made leaving less unimaginable

why is media access significant?

media is not a silver bullet

but effect on individuals can become collective action

media sharing creates horizontal bonds

counteracting atomisation

preference falsification – why revolutions erupt so quickly

everyone keeps private thoughts of dissent

but only once other people voice them do people suddenly express them

cascade effect

look at private economic enterprise

stalls and small trading are basically legal

within these there are markets for information

Seminar 2: Children’s Rights

forced labour, exile and the role of the UN

UN report on Children with Disabilities

reports of sterilisation, isolation and murder

but failed to mention the exit community

key audience for the UN

state deliberately targets children

forced labour for social control

children work around 4 hours a day after school

exiled children adapt well and speak English

around 400 exiled children in the UK

but they need better role models and mentoring

and they need English and Korean language classes

two recommendations

all development projects should be attached to a human rights requirement

government should finance information dissemination about labour and children’s rights

using international law North Korea

you can use law for advocacy

harder for a government to fight back if they’ve ratified it

UN mechanisms are key

because there is not regional ASEAN court

child refugees

apples to all North Koreans

important legal implications for China

does not recognise child refugees

UN needs to put more pressure on it

and they should not be able to return children

in September North Korea will be examined by the UN on children’s rights

Convention of Children’s Rights

North Korea has been very active in writing reports

they seem to be using the language of rights to show they are protecting women and children

but this seem unlikely to be implemented

three social classes in North Korea

1st class (28% of people)- important elites

2nd class- ordinary people

3rd class- hostile people and political criminals

children’s rights are decided by the class

and there are many economic problems for children

malnutrition is at 28%

and there is a lack of clean water and medicine

education is very limited

much of it is indoctrination or forced labour

many children drop out to support themselves

sanctions could worsen children’s lives

lack of food and medicine

very controversial in South Korea

since the Sunshine Policy help fun Nuclear Weapons

we should support service NGOs

so it is not diverted to the military

although this is getting harder

experience of a defector

North Korea is the 7th high risk list of starvation

½ suffer from starvation, majority are children and the elderly

children in education

education begins with worshipping Kim family

forced labour begins at 9

as well as life review and peer surveillance

children must clear the classroom for weekly inspections

many children have to do farming after school

at 14 the full forced labour system begins

Red Youth Guard

working on farms and building sites

even during holidays

14-16 there is also military training

learn to shoot

and at 17 you must join the army

disabled children

no really provision

North Korea is very sensitive to criticism of children

it has a very different definition of disability

Seminar 3- Accountability

no one can claim not to know what has happened in North Korea

huge scale of crimes against humanity

forced disappearance, torture, rape, mass starvation etc

how to bring them to account?

we can use dialogue to change the regime

sanction have limited effects on the elite

but the idea of justice provides hope for the future

current plans

Russia and China are blocking taking North Korea to the International Criminal Court

more engagement with exiles in needed

also more engagement with ASEAN

South Korea views the North as part of its territory

we need plans for future truth and reconciliation commissions

recommendations

more funding from the US, Japan and South Korea

South Korea could try North Koreans in absentia

radio broadcasts should include warnings of consequences of human rights abuse

should create files on individuals to be held accountable

what is justice for North Koreans

it uses the language of justice against Japan and South Korea

justice for children?

what about the 50,000 homeless children

and the children of hostile elements

justice for prisoners?

there has been recorded extermination of prisons

the Chinese return people to be tortured

future for North Korea

three possible scenarios

outbreak of diplomacy

pushed by China and sanctions

regime collapse

by coup, war or by natural disasters

remaining the same

our aim is clear in this case

maintain accountability

facilitate exiles

we need to think about what happens if they fall

there may be regime collapse

we will need transitional justice

need public confidence and accountability

recognition of abuses

will require victim participation

we could use the ICC or South Korea courts

is this victors justice?

or a North Korean court with mixed judges

the aim is record history not just for individual justice

we should consider a trusteeship for power vacuum

give a voice to the international actors

and South Korea could be the administrator

people’s tribunals

ASEAN takes a very ‘sovereignty first’ view

Burma and North Korea can do what they want internally

problem with South Korean courts would be that they are based on the argument that Korea is united

would would South Korea be responsible for the injustices?

ICC is difficult because North Korea did not sign up

Russia and China may block it

trusteeship is a bit colonial

can civil society do it through a People’ Tribunal

do you use the permanent Tribunal or an independent one?

what do you call it?

Inquiry, Commission, Tribunal etc

who are the participants

public, lawyers, witnesses, defence?

do you use international law?

how do you legitimise it?

does it make its own legitimacy through its functions?

how can it appoint itself to the role?

what are the aims?

inform the public

create collective memory

make recommendations

give voice to the victims

gendered barriers to truth telling

truth commissions assume that truth exists as a single entity

lens of a privileged group

normally women are excluded using arguments that their concerns are not pressing