Thursday, August 7, 2008

North Korean Defector on 5th Day of Hunger Strike to Save North Korean Refugees in China

 

Dear Friends:

 

North Korean defector, Jin-Hae Jo, who met with President George Bush last month, is on the 5th day of a hunger strike in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.  Jo is asking for the Chinese government to stop their brutal repatriation of North Korean refugees which has escalated because of the Olympics.  The full text of her letter is below.

 

North Korea Freedom Coalition Vice Chairman Pastor Heemoon Lee explains that right after Jo met with President Bush on July 24, she felt a special calling from God to go on a hunger strike for the North Korean refugees, because she was a refugee herself who crossed over the border to China for food and risked her life.  "God's call was so urgent in doing this especially right before the Olympics, she decided to go on a hunger strike in front of the Chinese embassy," Pastor Lee said.

 

Pastor Lee specifically requests: 1) Prayer support and if you are in Washington, DC, area or can travel here to come with 2) basic humanitarian needs (water, ice, and assistance for her) and 3) to show up at the embassy (2300 Connecticut Avenue, NW) to pray and be with her. 

 

We also ask that you 4) contact the Chinese government asking them to honor Jin-Hae Jo's requests.  You can send letter by fax to (202) 265-5284 or by email to: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn

 

There are hundreds of North Korean refugees in detention centers in China right now, and President Bush will meet with Hu Jintao on Sunday as he travels to China tomorrow for the Beijing Olympics.

 

Warm regards,

Suzanne Scholte

North Korea Freedom Coalition

 

Jin Hae Jo's letter to the Chinese Government

 

Dear Friends:

 

Letter of Appeal to Chinese Government

                                             

  The reason I came here is to go on a hunger strike for North Korean Refugees who are in China. I am a North Korean Refugee who crossed the border to seek anything to eat. The reason I go on a hunger strike, as one who already ran the risk of life for food, is not for my own good or happiness, but for my brethren,   North Korean Refugees in China who are being oppressed, suffered, repatriated and dying.

 

  Those North Korean Refugees who are wandering around in China are very pitiful people who could not receive any food from their government for a long time, therefore, they crossed the border to survive and to escape from a longtime starvation for they could not live like that any more. When they are repatriated by you, Chinese government, they are facing very severe punishment, for the North Korean government considers crossing the border as a run away and betrayal against the government.        

 

   Therefore, they would face slandering, humiliation, beating, torturing, and even death especially those people who have been exposed and converted to Christianity by contacting any South Koreans, missionaries and Americans.  They face the most severe punishment such as being sent to the gulag (political prison camp) and even public execution.

 

   Therefore, those suffering North Korean refugees are not illegal migrant, but they are definitely "the Refugees" according to the UN law. Nevertheless, you Chinese government keep arresting and repatriating North Korean Refugees especially as the Olympics is approaching. I know that you are making a desperate effort to arrest more North Korean refugees to get rid of them in your presence  especially during this Olympics in cooperation with North Korean government and I heard that the number is reaching about 300 everyday.                                                                                          

  

   According to my friends who are in Do-Moon and Yanji area, all prisons are full of those refugees who are waiting for repatriation to North Korea. And the infringement of human rights against them is beyond imagination. I am one of those victims who have been arrested, suffered at those prisons, and repatriated four times by you Chinese government.                     

  

   Therefore, I appeal to you for your brutalities against North Korean refugees. I demand you to stop repatriating North Korean refugees.    I earnestly want you to have a very successful Olympics, and yet, I strongly ask you to act as worthy of hosting country of 2008 Summer Olympics and I strongly appeal to you few things as follows;

 

  1) Stop all kinds of infringement of human rights against North Korean refugees and set them free at once.

  2) Stop repatriating North Korean refugees at once.

  3) Give refugees status to all North Korean refugees and send them wherever they want to go in cooperation with the UN, international human rights organization and countries who are willing to help and accept them.

  4) Do all of these before the Olympics begins.

                                                                  

                        North Korean Refugee,  Jinhae Jo

August 4, 2008