NKFC’s Information on the

International Protest Against China's Violent Treatment of North Korean Refugees

11/16/2007

Dear Friends:

Please remember the International Protest Against China's Violent Treatment of North Korean Refugees will be occurring around the world at noon on November 30 and December 1 at Chinese consulates and embassies. We need everyone to join and support these events as the situation in China is worse than ever for North Korean refugees. Some cities will deliver petitions, some will stage protests and demonstrations. Wherever you are in the world, please take part in this effort.

For several years both the Chinese and North Korean authorities have implemented measures to close the border and currently the Chinese authorities are working more aggressively with North Korean agents to hunt down and repatriate the North Korean refugees. We have heard several reports that North Korean agents are posing as refugees to draw out both humanitarian workers and true refugees as part of this escalating crackdown. Even refugees in jail are being used as "bait" to draw out potential rescuers, so that Chinese authorities can arrest them.

How ironic that this crackdown has intensified because of China's concerns over the upcoming Olympic Games. China cannot risk the world community seeing with their own eyes China's horrific treatment of the North Koreans, so they hope to eliminate the problem by forcing them back to face torture and imprisonment and even execution for fleeing their homeland. How ironic that an event promoting good will among nations is causing the Chinese to treat their neighbors with increasing brutality.

Below is an update on the International Protest and confirmed events and action so far (more details are forthcoming as coordinators are continuing to send in their plans). Thank you to the efforts of the ongoing 444 Campaign in Seoul, Open Doors USA and the Korean Church Coalition for North Korean Freedom, for the first time, there will be a protest at every Chinese embassy and consulate in the United States. Furthermore, we are continuing to confirm other countries that will be involved with the hope that this time we will have more cities and countries involved than ever before.

Wherever you are in the world on these dates of Nov 30 and Dec 1, please remember the suffering of the North Korean refugees and take a stand for them so that together we can help end the most avoidable human rights tragedy occurring in the world today.

Warm regards,

Suzanne Scholte

NKFC Chairman

International Protest Against China's Violent Treatment of North Korean Refugees

Please join these events! For more information on a specific event, please contact NKFC at sueyoonlogan@gmail.com. She will direct your email inquiry to the appropriate coordinator.

In the United States:

Chicago: demonstration at 12:00 noon on Sat, Dec 1 at Chinese consulate at 100 West Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60610 (contact Mary Glass)

Houston: demonstration at 12:00 Noon on Sat, Dec 1 at Chinese consulate at 3417 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006 (contact Casey Youn)

Los Angeles: demonstration planned for 12:00 noon, Fri, Nov 30 at Chinese consulate at 443 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (contact: Tom Byun, Youngsohk Choe, or Lindsay Vessey)

New York: protest and prayer rally at 11:30 am (gather) for 12:00 noon (protest) on Fri, Nov 30 -- at Chinese consulate at 520 12th Avenue [Corner of 12th Ave. & 42nd St.] New York, NY 10036 (contact Paul or Hyun)

San Francisco: protest at 12:00 noon on Sat., Dec 1 at the Chinese consulate at 1450 Laguna St. San Francisco, CA 94115 (contact Sam Kim)

Washington DC: dramatization of plight of North Korean refugees and petition delivery at 12:00 noon on Friday, Nov 30 AND protest at 12:00 noon on Dec 1 both events at Chinese Embassy at 2300 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Washington, DC, 20008 (contacts: Pastor Heemoon Lee and Sin U Nam and Suzanne Scholte)

Country Coordinators so far!

BELGIUM: petition to PRC embassy in Brussels at noon on Friday, Nov 30, (contact Willy Fautre)

CANADA: demonstration at PRC consulate in Toronto at 12:00 noon on Nov 30: (contact Kyung B. Lee)

FRANCE: 12:00 noon on Dec 1: contact Open Doors/France

GERMANY: 12:00 noon on Dec 1: contact Open Doors/Germany

JAPAN: demonstration at 12:00 noon on Dec 1: contact Kan Ando)

NORWAY: 12:00 noon on Nov 30: working to activate people in Oslo to deliver petition contact Therese Jebsen

SOUTH KOREA: SEOUL: Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the 444 Campaign in Seoul led by Peter Jung and Ji-Hye Park -- there's been a protest every day and demonstration every weekend in Seoul, South Korea, for the North Korean refugees. Information on their ongoing protest see http://en.444days.org/

SPAIN: Open Doors/Spain

NETHERLANDS: press release in solidarity with event contact Marianne Bruning

UNITED KINGDOM: press release in solidarity with event (contact Alice Jones)