12/01/2007

"My books are about killing God."

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 clipped from snopes.com
Home --> Politics --> Religion --> The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass

Claim: The 2007 film The Golden Compass is based on a series of books with anti-religious themes.

Status: True.

Examples:

[Collected via e-mail, October 2007]

There will be a new Children's movie out in December called THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It is written by Phillip Pullman, a proud athiest who belongs to secular humanist societies. He hates C. S. Lewis's Chronical's of Narnia and has written a trilogy to show the other side. The movie has been dumbed down to fool kids and their parents in the hope that they will buy his trilogy where in the end the children kill God and everyone can do as they please. Nicole Kidman stars in the movie so it will probably be advertised a lot. This is just a friendly warning that you sure won't hear on the regular TV.



[Collected via e-mail, October 2007]

I don't just generally dismiss a movie or book just because someone 'says' it's meant to be something else...but this is worth knowing if you plan to see it (or plan to take your kids).

"Hi! I just wanted to inform you what I just learned about a movie that is coming out December 7, during the Christmas season, which is entitled THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It stars Nicole Kidman and it is directed toward children. What is disturbing to me is that this movie is based on the first of a trilogy of books for children called HIS DARK MATERIALS written by Philip Pullman of England.

He's an atheist and his objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. I heard that he has made remarks that he wants to kill God in the minds of children, and that's what his books are all about. He despises C.S. Lewis and Narnia, etc. An article written about him said "this is the most dangerous author in Britain" and that Pullman would be the writer "the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed." Pullman said he doesn't think it is possible that there is a God and he has great difficulty understanding the words "spiritual" and "spirituality." What I thought was important to communicate is what part of the agenda is for making this picture. This movie is a watered down version of the first book, which is the least offensive of the three books. The second book of the trilogy is THE SUBTLE KNIFE and the third book is THE AMBER SPYGLASS. Each book gets worse and worse regarding Pullman's hatred of God. In the trilogy, a young girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle against a nefarious Church known as the Magisterium. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake." As I understand it, in the last book, a boy and girl are depicted representing Adam and Eve and they kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH (which is definitely not Allah). Since the movie would seem mild if you viewed it, that's been done on purpose.

They are hoping that unsuspecting parents will take their children to See the movie, that they will enjoy the movie and then the children will want the books for Christmas. That's the hook. Pullman says he wants the children to read the books and decide against God and the kingdom of heaven.

If you decide that you do not want to support something like this, I suggest that you boycott the movie and the books. I googled a synopsis of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. As I skimmed it, I couldn't believe that in a children's book part of the story is about castration and female circumcision.

Origins: The Golden Compass, a fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman that is scheduled to be released into theaters on 7 December 2007, has been drawing fire from concerned Christians. The film is based on Northern Lights (released in the U.S. as The Golden Compass), the first offering in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of children's books, a series that follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels
through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assassins to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.

Books of the trilogy have sold more than 15 million copies around the world, with Northern Lights winning the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature in 1995 and in 2007 being awarded the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' for the best children's book of the past 70 years. The Amber Spyglass, the final book of the series, won The Whitbread Prize in 2001, making it the first children's book to do so.

The series' author, Philip Pullman (wo has described himself as both an agnostic and an atheist), has averred that "I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality.'" Critics of Pullman's books point to the strong anti-religion and anti-God themes they incorporate, and although literary works are subject to a variety of interpretations, Pullman left little doubt about his books' intended meanings when he said in a 2003 interview that "My books are about killing God" and in a 2001 interview that he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief." (In 2002 conservative British columnist Peter Hitchens labeled Pullman "The Most Dangerous Author in Britain" and described him as the writer "the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed.")

Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League, has condemned The Golden Compass as a "pernicious" effort to indoctrinate children into anti-Christian beliefs and has produced a 23-page pamphlet titled The Golden Compass: Unmasked in which he maintains that Pullman "sells atheism for kids." Donohoe told interviewer John Gibson on 9 October 2007 why he believes Christians should stay away from the film:
Look, the movie is based on the least offensive of the three books. And they have dumbed down the worst elements in the movie because they don't want to make Christians angry and they want to make money. Our concern is this, unsuspecting Christian parents may want to take their kid to the movie, it opens up December 7th and say, this wasn't troubling, then we'll buy the books. So the movie is the bait for the books which are profoundly anti-Catholic and at the same time selling atheism.
Other reviewers, however, have described Pullman's works as being more generally anti-religion rather than specifically anti-Christian or anti-Catholic:
In "His Dark Materials," Pullman's criticisms of organized religion come across as anti-authoritarian and anti-ascetic rather than anti-doctrinal. (Jesus isn't mentioned in any of the books, although Pullman has hinted that He might figure in a forthcoming sequel, "The Book of Dust.") His fundamental objection is to ideological tyranny and the rejection of this world in favor of an idealized afterlife, regardless of creed. As one of the novel's pagan characters puts it, "Every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling."
Last updated: 23 October 2007

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2007
by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
This material may not be reproduced without permission.

Sources Sources:
Gibson, John. "The Big Story with John Gibson."
Fox News Network. 9 October 2007.

Hitchens, Peter. "This Is the Most Dangerous Author in Britain."
Mail on Sunday. 27 January 2002 (p. 63).

Hoyle, Ben. "Pullman Writes a Book That Will Shed Light on Darkness of His Beliefs."
The [London] Times. 1 August 2007 (p. 9).

Lurie, Alison. "His Dark Materials."
The Guardian. 3 December 2005 (Review; p. 12).

Meacham, Steve. "The Shed Where God Died."
The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 December 2003.

Miller, Laura. "Far from Narnia."
The New Yorker. 26 December 2005.

Pauli, Michelle. "Pullman Wins 'Carnegie of Carnegies.'"
The Guardian. 21 June 2007.

Wartofsky, Alona. "Philip Pullman's Trilogy for Young Adults Ends with God's Death, and Remarkably Few Critics."
The Washington Post. 19 February 2001.

Sunday Mirror. "Kidman Movie Is 'Atheist.'"
21 October 2007 (p. 24).

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7/20/2007

Cut and paste this info and send your own letter to Pastor Son Jong Nam

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Coltrabagar's Message:
The letter is to be mailed to the North Korean delegation to the United Nations, along with a cover letter asking the North Korean government to spare Son's life, release him from prison immediately, report on his current status and deliver the personal letter to Son.

The purpose of this letter is for it to be a personal letter from you to Pastor Son Jong Nam. Make sure that your personal information, name and address, is included on the letter and the return address on the envelope. Hand writing the address on the envelope is best. Make sure no organization's info is on the letter you send. This will help protect Pastor Son Jong Nam and make your correspondence more effective. Even if Pastor Son Jong Nam does not receive your letter, someone will know that he is not forgotten and that his plight is being taken up by many.

 clipped from www.prisoneralert.com
Letter:

Son Jong Nam

Keep looking to Jesus, our only hope of heaven.

You are fighting a good fight. May you keep the faith and finish the race.

We love you and your family. We are praying for you, your family, and your guards.

I pray the eyes, ears and hearts of those who persecute you may open to Jesus.









Address:


Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations
515 East 72nd Street, 38-F
New York, N.Y 10021 USA

Approximate Postage Rates
Source: USA
Destination: North Korea

Weight Range

Shipping Cost

0 oz - 1 oz

$ .90

1 oz - 2 oz

$ 1.80

2 oz - 3 oz

$ 2.70

* Please check with your local post office for exact postage fees.
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Worldwide Campaign to Save North Korean Facing Death for Christian Faith

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 clipped from www.persecution.com
July 10, 2007, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Coffin @ 704-364-2049 or ACoffin@InChristCommunications.com
Download press kit and photos @ www.persecution.com/media

Presidential Candidate, Other Senators, Lend Support to Effort
International Ministry Launches Worldwide Campaign to Save North Korean Facing Death for Christian Faith

PYONGYANG, North Korea - The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an international organization that assists persecuted Christians around the world, today launched a worldwide campaign to free a North Korean man awaiting public execution for the crime of simply being a Christian.

For more than a year, Son Jong Nam, former North Korean Army officer turned underground evangelist, has been beaten, tortured and held in a bleak, North Korean death row basement jail in this capital city. He has been sentenced to public execution as an example to the North Korean people.

VOM has been joined in the initiative by U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a noted supporter of human rights for North Korean refugees. Brownback sent letters last week, also signed by Senators Baucus (D-Mont.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Vitter (R-La.), asking U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to work to secure the release of the Christian prisoner.

VOM is calling on people in the United States and around the world to write letters and send emails on Son Jong Nam's behalf. They are directed to go to VOM web site www.prisoneralert.com, where they can compose a personal letter of support and encouragement to Son. The letter is to be mailed to the North Korean delegation to the United Nations, along with a cover letter asking the North Korean government to spare Son's life, release him from prison immediately, report on his current status and deliver the personal letter to Son.

In addition, people are encouraged to send emails to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.S. Department of State, asking that they intervene on Son's behalf.

"We are asking for prayers for Mr. Son, but also that people around the world take action on his behalf," said Todd Nettleton, director of media development for VOM. "Jesus said ministering to a prisoner was like ministering to Himself. Every letter and email can make a difference."

In his letters to Secretary of State Rice and Secretary General Ban, Sen. Brownback wrote: "Future cooperation and engagement with North Korea will be far more challenging if its leaders continue to persecute their own people for religious views. The United States has made political and religious freedoms important elements in its diplomatic relations, and we are gravely concerned about abuses of such basic rights in North Korea."

Some years ago Son complained to the North Korean Central People's Committee when his wife, while being investigated by the secret police, was kicked in the stomach and miscarried. He made plans to leave North Korea after being pressured to drop the matter.

Son defected to China in 1998 with his wife, son and brother. His wife died after arriving there. It was in China that he met a South Korean missionary and became a Christian. Mr. Son continued his religious studies and felt called to be an evangelist in North Korea.

But before he could return home, Son was arrested by Chinese police in 2001 and sent back to North Korea, charged with sending missionaries into his native country. He was imprisoned and brutally tortured for three years. Many of his 200 fellow inmates were Christians, imprisoned themselves for studying theology in China. Many died within six months.

Son was released on parole in May 2004 and expelled from Pyongyang to Chongjin to work at a rocket research institute. However, his health was so bad when he was released that he was unable to walk. But after receiving medical treatment, he went back to China to meet with his brother.

Son was arrested again when he returned to North Korea in January 2006, and has remained in prison since. The last word of him came in February. It is suspected that because he is being kept in the capitol city, North Korean officials view him as a special case and perhaps are keeping him alive, if barely, for unknown reasons.

According to Nettleton, North Korea, a one-man dictatorship with communist influence, is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world and denies every kind of human right to its citizens. The country's previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called "juche," meaning "self-reliance," which is enforced in every aspect of the culture by the ruling elite. Kim Jong Il, the son of deceased leader Kim Il Sung, currently leads the country. In North Korea, both Kims are considered deities.

"All religions have been harshly repressed in North Korea," said Nettleton. "Thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War. In 1953, there were an estimated 300,000 Christians; however, the number is much lower today. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger."

There are three official churches in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, said Nettleton, but they are only for show. Many North Koreans have fled to China, some of them Christians, and have been known to return to North Korea to share the gospel, he said.

"Any North Korean sent back by the Chinese government faces almost certain death if it is discovered they've had contact with Christians in China," Nettleton said.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) issued a report June 19 accusing North Korea of international crimes against humanity, and recommended the United Nations establish a commission of inquiry. The report said a "prima facie" case exists that North Korea has committed "murder, extermination, enslavement/forced persecution, enforced disappearance of persons, other inhumane acts and perhaps rape and sexual violence."

VOM has been launching helium-filled balloons, printed with either the Gospel of Mark or the text of a tract called "How to Know God" into North Korea for years, said Nettleton. They also smuggle in copies of an audio drama called "He Lived Among Us" and have sent copies of The New Testament in Korean to northern China through a VOM program called "Bibles Unbound" (www.biblesunbound.com).

The Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com), headquartered in Bartlesville, Okla., is a non-profit, interdenominational organization with a vision for aiding Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, fulfilling the "Great Commission" and educating the world about the ongoing persecution of Christians.

###

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North Korean Pastor Faces Execution For Preaching the Gospel

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North Korean Pastor Faces Execution For Preaching The Gospel
July 19, 2007 – Pastor Son Jong Nam faces imminent execution by the North Korean government for preaching the Gospel in that nation.

TVC has joined with other groups and numerous U.S. Senators to campaign to have Nam released from prison and permitted to live his life without persecution and the threat of death for being a Christian witness in his country.

"We stand in solidarity with our Christian brother and faithful Pastor Nam," said TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon. "We will do whatever we can to help gain his release from prison and a death sentence."

Pastor Nam had defected from North Korea in 1998 to China with his wife, son and brother. His wife died shortly after arriving in China. It was in China where he met a South Korean missionary who led him to Christ. Nam then felt a call to be an evangelist in his native North Korea.

Before he could return to North Korea, the Chinese arrested him and kept in prison for three years and tortured. Many of his 200 fellow inmates were also Christians who had been imprisoned for studying theology in China.

TVC is calling upon its supporters to write email letters of support for Pastor Nam's release to the following individuals: Your two U.S. Senators; Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, U.N. Secretary General, and the U.N. Secretary Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has more details on Pastor Nam's plight: The Voice of the Martyrs Media Room

TAKE ACTION: Contact your two U.S. Senators by email by using TVC's CapWiz service. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice can be contacted here: Email Comments.

The Secretary General of the U.N. can be contacted here: Feedback. The U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights can be contacted here: Human Rights Complaints.



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7/17/2007

What Can I Do?

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 clipped from freekorea.us


What You Can Do for the People of North Korea

It's been two years since I began blogging about human rights in North Korea. As regular readers know, I believe North Korea to be the world's greatest, and most underreported, humanitarian tragedy today. It is neither seriously disputed nor widely discussed that the North Korean regime deliberately chose to spend its resources on weapons and luxuries for its elites while 2 million of its people starved to death, knowing that it was happening, with malice aforethought. North Korea is also a grave proliferation danger to every nation that offends a client of its promiscuous intercourse in weapons of mass murder.

Often, readers write to ask, "What can I do for the people of North Korea?"

If you have a few bucks you can spare. If you're one of those fortunate ones with enough money to be generous to a good cause, I'd first ask, "What kind of activity do you want to support?" If your intention is to support political activity and contribute to the building of a grand, nonpartisan human rights coalition in Washington, then your best choice is the North Korean Freedom Coalition, run by my friend, Suzanne Scholte. The NKFC is an activist group that lobbies influential policymakers in Washington and elsewhere. Better yet, if you pull any weight with the leader of your church or synagogue, ask that leader to involve the congregation, its members, or another worthy organization with which it works.

The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea sponsors the best research on the subject. That research regularly finds its way into congressional hearings. HRNK recently produced the single best, most comprehensive study of human rights in North Korea anywhere. This study should have been written by the U.N. a decade ago; instead, it was commissioned by Elie Wiesel, Vaclav Havel, and Kjell Magne Bondevik and written on the donated pro-bono time of the California law firm DLA Piper.

If you want to give to a group that helps North Koreans escape to freedom along an "underground railroad" through China and other places, give to Helping Hands Korea, an affiliate of the Family Care Foundation established by the Rev. Tim Peters. Rev. Peters came to South Korea many years ago, and was once thrown out of the country for opposing its old right-wing dictatorship. HHK's agenda is unapologetically and proudly Christian. Peters is a modern-day Harriet Tubman, a modest, gentle, Godly, and yet highly intrepid man. Read more about him here and here.

If you want to give to a group that is does direct activism, lobbying, and clandestine refugee assistance, then give to LiNK, Liberty in North Korea. LiNK is a nonpartisan coalition that can get meetings with senators and ambassadors. It's a young organization that can put hundreds of protestors on a target. LiNK is also changing hearts and minds in South Korea, something it's in a unique position to do because its membership contains so many Korean-Americans (as well as others of every conceiveable ethnic group). LiNK has also set up a series of clandestine shelters and orphanages in China that are saving North Korean kids from freezing and starving to death at this very moment. A reminder from LiNK:

All travel by the LiNK team is covered by special sponsorships and individual fundraising- no travel fees were taken from LiNK's funds whatsoever. All donations to LiNK's Safe Haven operations go straight to the field- in other words, there is no overhead.

They also remind us why they do it:

The LiNK team visited many of the shelters personally, and interviewed refugees in hiding under LiNK's care, but not before purchasing large amounts of nae-bok, or long underwear, a crucial article of clothing in the below-freezing area, particularly in the mountains. The team also purchased enough thick ski/snow style pants for all refugees under LiNK's care as well, and toys, crayons and dolls for the orphans.

Many of the refugees the team encountered had heartbreaking stories to share. One woman was sold for only a few hundred dollars, and spent three months essentially in sexual slavery, before she was rescued by a man who was able to purchase her freedom, and connect her with underground networks. Two orphaned young men, aged 21, also shared their stories- siblings and parents dying of hunger, relatives missing. At one point the team compared heights with a member of the LiNK team and the two refugees, all in similar age ranges. The difference was shocking, and tragic. They also spoke of witnessing public executions.

Some of the refugees the team met with have been captured while attempting to cross, or being close to the border. They tell us that standard policy is detention for about 6 months. They also told us that when the same individual was caught three times, they would summarily be executed. The two boys, as well as several others we met with, were at that stage. "I don't want to be caught again. If I'm sent back, I will be killed."

That is the reality there.

LiNK is perpetually in need of funds to carry out its activities. If you can help, please do.

If you have nothing to give but your hard work, LiNK is looking for help in its offices in Washington, D.C., and at its new branches, most of them on college campuses, all over the United States, South Korea, and elsewhere. It's a rather unique position description:

LiNK is looking for a few good men and women to join us at the LiNK headquarters office in Washington, D.C., the first, full-time office outside of Seoul devoted solely to North Korean human rights. Staff will be selected based on the following criteria: passion for making the world a better place, willingness to make sacrifices, find common ground with near-anyone and persuade others for said cause, and the desire and ability to give up their own time and resources for strangers an ocean away. No prior experience or education required- simply a willing heart and open mind. There is no talent or skill that cannot be used to help others.

There will be no pay, no stipends, and probably, little recognition in the real world [ at least, until the movement has succeeded ]. In fact, most will likely scoff at such "youthful idealism" and wait for you to give up and move on. And frankly, at this point in time, the officers at HQ are paying to work- not something we do by choice, but a necessity until our operations and shelters get more stable funding. But do not misunderstand- you will be making a difference.

Volunteers to start branches in Europe and Japan are also strongly welcomed.

If you live in Seoul, LiNK is also looking for interns to work with Assemblyman Hwang Woo-Yea in Seoul, who stands alongside Kim Moon-Soo as a giant in the defense of human rights in North Korea. If Kim Moon-Soo is the movement's populist, then Hwang, a former lawyer and judge, is its ambassador, having set up an international coalition of parliamentarians supporting human rights in North Korea. You must speak fluent English and Korean–please inquire with adrian@linkglobal.org.

Finally, if anything you see here causes you to believe that your government should be thinking about these things, too, then write to your parliamentarian or congressman. If you live in the United States, the House is here and the Senate is here.

Update: Brendan Brown, who lives in Seoul and teaches North Korean refugees, adds:

Joshua, Can I add that if there is anyone living in Seoul that can volunteer some time per week to teach North Korean defectors that would be highly appreciated? It could be a foreign language especially English or Chinese. Or for Korean speakers subjects like business, economics or information technology. Or on a Friday evening if you fancy yourself as a bit of a cook, a soup kitchen for the defectors can be an option. The soup kitchen could be say once a month.

I do ask that if you are interested in teaching it should be that you avail yourself for
at least a year. Unfortunately some (perhaps, perhaps not) well intentioned people teach for a few weeks and then leave. This has an unsettling effect on any student and so it would be better not to offer at all if you were merely curious in meeting North Koreans but not neccessarily in helping them.

You can contact Brendan (or any of the rest of these deserving organizations) through me. Just drop a comment.

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Gas Chambers in North Korea

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 clipped from www.guardian.co.uk

Revealed: the gas chamber horror of North Korea's gulag



A series of shocking personal testimonies is now shedding light on Camp 22 - one of the country's most horrific secrets

Antony Barnett
Sunday February 1, 2004
The Observer


In the remote north-eastern corner of North Korea, close to the border of Russia and China, is Haengyong. Hidden away in the mountains, this remote town is home to Camp 22 - North Korea's largest concentration camp, where thousands of men, women and children accused of political crimes are held.

Now, it is claimed, it is also where thousands die each year and where prison guards stamp on the necks of babies born to prisoners to kill them.

Over the past year harrowing first-hand testimonies from North Korean defectors have detailed execution and torture, and now chilling evidence has emerged that the walls of Camp 22 hide an even more evil secret: gas chambers where horrific chemical experiments are conducted on human beings.

Witnesses have described watching entire families being put in glass chambers and gassed. They are left to an agonising death while scientists take notes. The allegations offer the most shocking glimpse so far of Kim Jong-il's North Korean regime.

Kwon Hyuk, who has changed his name, was the former military attaché at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing. He was also the chief of management at Camp 22. In the BBC's This World documentary, to be broadcast tonight, Hyuk claims he now wants the world to know what is happening.

'I witnessed a whole family being tested on suffocating gas and dying in the gas chamber,' he said. 'The parents, son and and a daughter. The parents were vomiting and dying, but till the very last moment they tried to save kids by doing mouth-to-mouth breathing.'

Hyuk has drawn detailed diagrams of the gas chamber he saw. He said: 'The glass chamber is sealed airtight. It is 3.5 metres wide, 3m long and 2.2m high_ [There] is the injection tube going through the unit. Normally, a family sticks together and individual prisoners stand separately around the corners. Scientists observe the entire process from above, through the glass.'

He explains how he had believed this treatment was justified. 'At the time I felt that they thoroughly deserved such a death. Because all of us were led to believe that all the bad things that were happening to North Korea were their fault; that we were poor, divided and not making progress as a country.

'It would be a total lie for me to say I feel sympathetic about the children dying such a painful death. Under the society and the regime I was in at the time, I only felt that they were the enemies. So I felt no sympathy or pity for them at all.'

His testimony is backed up by Soon Ok-lee, who was imprisoned for seven years. 'An officer ordered me to select 50 healthy female prisoners,' she said. 'One of the guards handed me a basket full of soaked cabbage, told me not to eat it but to give it to the 50 women. I gave them out and heard a scream from those who had eaten them. They were all screaming and vomiting blood. All who ate the cabbage leaves started violently vomiting blood and screaming with pain. It was hell. In less than 20 minutes they were quite dead.'

Defectors have smuggled out documents that appear to reveal how methodical the chemical experiments were. One stamped 'top secret' and 'transfer letter' is dated February 2002. The name of the victim was Lin Hun-hwa. He was 39. The text reads: 'The above person is transferred from ... camp number 22 for the purpose of human experimentation of liquid gas for chemical weapons.'

Kim Sang-hun, a North Korean human rights worker, says the document is genuine. He said: 'It carries a North Korean format, the quality of paper is North Korean and it has an official stamp of agencies involved with this human experimentation. A stamp they cannot deny. And it carries names of the victim and where and why and how these people were experimented [on].'

The number of prisoners held in the North Korean gulag is not known: one estimate is 200,000, held in 12 or more centres. Camp 22 is thought to hold 50,000.

Most are imprisoned because their relatives are believed to be critical of the regime. Many are Christians, a religion believed by Kim Jong-il to be one of the greatest threats to his power. According to the dictator, not only is a suspected dissident arrested but also three generations of his family are imprisoned, to root out the bad blood and seed of dissent.

With North Korea trying to win concessions in return for axing its nuclear programme, campaigners want human rights to be a part of any deal. Richard Spring, Tory foreign affairs spokesman, is pushing for a House of Commons debate on human rights in North Korea.

'The situation is absolutely horrific,' Spring said. 'It is totally unacceptable by any norms of civilised society. It makes it even more urgent to convince the North Koreans that procuring weapons of mass destruction must end, not only for the security of the region but for the good of their own population.'

Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: 'For too long the horrendous suffering of the people of North Korea, especially those imprisoned in unspeakably barbaric prison camps, has been met with silence ... It is imperative that the international community does not continue to turn a blind eye to these atrocities which should weigh heavily on the world's conscience.'

·This World is being broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm tonight.



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Location of Concentration Camps

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7/11/2007

From Dr. Norbert Vollertsen

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 clipped from chosunjournal.com

South Korea's Spoilers

By Dr. Norbert Vollertsen

SEOUL, Oct 18, 2006 — For six years now I have been active in lobbying for human rights in North Korea. My associates and I provide detailed information to Western journalists. We organize protests at the Panmunjom border with North Korea, help North Korean refugees rush past guards and enter Western embassies in China, and coordinate the flight of North Korean "boat people." We also attempt simple, utilitarian projects such as the sending into North Korea — by balloon — of small radios, which those lucky enough to retrieve might use to learn about the world outside their Gulag-state.

Some of these projects have failed, many of them have succeeded. But never could I have imagined that the most difficult part of creating an awareness of human rights abuses in North Korea would be to raise a voice in South Korea.

Here in Seoul, I get around 1,400 hate-e-mails per day. As a result of an e-mail campaign organized by South Korean students, my e-mail account is often sabotaged. I am caught in the middle of an Internet campaign titled, ominously, "How to get rid of Norbert Vollertsen." Suggestions include "Execute him," "Kill him," etc. People — South Korean people –shout and even spit at me on the street. My activities to help the enslaved people of the North –such as my boat-people project — are sabotaged by South Korean intelligence. My telephone is tapped, and I have minders following me the whole day. All in all, although I'm here in Seoul, I feel like I'm still in Pyongyang!

Yet for all the horrors I witnessed in North Korea, where I once worked for 18 months as a medical worker for Cap Anamur, a German aid organization, I was never beaten by the police — not even in my last days there as persona non grata, just before my expulsion for the expression of pro-human rights views.

Here, in South Korea, I have been beaten by the police — among others.

During our balloon-launching attempt on Aug. 22,2003 a young South Korean (well-fed, wanting for nothing) attacked me, threw me to the ground and escaped with a bundle of radios intended for his starving, destitute brothers across the border — an assault carried out right under the noses of the riot police. Then I was attacked by the police themselves. One officer jumped on my twisted knee while I was lying on the ground. But even that was not as painful as the incident in March this year when some riot policemen kicked me in the groin while I was standing in the middle of their crowd during a protest in front of the Chinese embassy here in Seoul.

On another Sunday, I was attacked by North Korean "journalists" at the World University Games in Daegu, while holding a peaceful press conference in front of the convention building there. The South Korean newspapers reported that I "exchanged punches with the North Koreans." In reality, I was standing on my crutches, still suffering from my injuries from the balloon-launch assault, and could barely stay upright. I was also wearing a neck-brace, and so was unable even to swivel my head to face my North Korean attackers.

Afterwards, the same newspapers called me an "extreme ultra-right-wing activist," even "fascist," which is ironical, given that I am doing what I am doing for the North Koreans mainly to atone for the shameful fascist history of my home country, Germany. The local government in Daegu apologized to the North Korean delegation for my "grave offence," and promised to punish me and get me expelled.

In Beijing, where the next round of the so-called six-party talks shall take place again to my consternation, the talks are only focusing on nukes. But the human right abuses of regime of Kim Jong Il is the real cause of all the military problems.

Kim Jong Il has to fight for survival like the leader of a religious cult, like the head of a family mafia clan — he can only do so by blackmailing the whole world: "Feed me or I will kill you with my nuclear weapons." He will never abandon these weapons, his only real "security guarantee."

And there is only one security guarantee for the starving children in North Korea: When there is no more security for Kim Jong Il and his regime and he has to face justice at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The only way to get rid of the North Korean nukes and missiles is to get rid of Kim Jong Il, and the best way to do that is by creating an inner collapse of the North Korean regime.

In order to achieve this inner collapse we first of all have to inform the ordinary North Korean people about the outside world. Because they do not have any access to foreign media they do not know anything about Western societies. They are brainwashed into believing that we are all homeless, drug-addicted and depraved.

Because of this non- and misinformation there are no uprisings like those in former East European countries and no defections on a mass scale. That is why our project to send radios by balloon is so potent — and why friends of Kim Jong Il in South Korea are determined to foil us.

Seoul is proving to be the real external obstacle to freedom for North Korea. Many people in foreign countries wonder about the general South Korean attitude toward Pyongyang, the increasing anti-Americanism here, and the perverse likelihood of pro-North Korean diplomacy by Seoul during the six-party talks and the whole nuclear discussion.

The truth is, South Korea is infiltrated by Pyongyang's agents. According to the NIS, the South Korean intelligence, there are up to 6,000 secret agents from North Korea operating in South Korea's establishment; and the main targets, besides the government, are the NIS itself, the military, the student organizations, the workers' unions — and the media.

Until now I have been talking about human-rights violations in North Korea, and the need for regime change there. Maybe it is time now to talk about rights violation in the South too — and even regime change as well, by the power of the people, by election of course.

Here in South Korea basic civil rights, the freedom of speech and mainly the freedom of the press, are endangered by the current administration. The government of President Roh Moo Hyun is cracking down on critical journalists.

I will continue my activities here in South Korea even after I got expelled from this Korean nation too and only was allowed to reimmigrate under the "final order" not to engage in any "political activities" at all. No speeches, no shouting, no publicity stunts. So I will try a new approach…

5 Responses to "South Korea's Spoilers"

  1. June 11th, 2007 at 7:52 am

    Dr. Vollertsen,

    I am an attorney in Texas, U.S.A.
    Recently, I met two North Korean refugees who are seeking asylum in the U.S. and became interested in learning about what is going on in North Korea.
    I am so touched by what you are doing for Korea.
    I'll keep you in my prayer, and in whatever way I can I will advocate for suffering North Koreans.

    Submitted by: Angie
  2. April 24th, 2007 at 1:08 pm

    Dear Dr.Vollertsen,

    Hello, my name is Beth Hong, and I am President of a student organization called North Korea Freedom Network, based at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. NKFN aims to advocate for North Korean human rights and educate students and the wider community about the human rights crisis, and mobilize to pressure the Canadian government to take action. We hope to attain NGO status in Quebec in a few months' time.

    In March or April of 2008, we are planning to hold a one-day conference at McGill on the North Korean human rights crisis, similar to the one held at Yale on April14th. We are in the process of contacting and confirming potential speakers and experts on the field of North Korea and the various aspects of the human rights crisis. I believe that your presence at this conference will highlght the acute lack of basic healthcare services and civil liberties in North Korea.

    The goal of our conference is what can be done about the crisis in a Canadian context. We would like participants of the conference to be able to walk away with a clear idea of what can be done to publicize and advocate for the North Korean human rights crisis- as students, Canadian citizens (or as a citizen of an industrialized country) and voters. I hope that your perspectives on the situation in North Korea, and your courageous dedication against such vehement opposition and danger can inspire participants to take action.

    As a student club and soon-to-be start up NGO, our funds are limited. However, we are also in the process of searching for sponsors and donors to fund our conference, and we plan to pay for your transportation and accomodation for your time in Montreal. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to your reply.

    Sincerely,

    Beth Hong
    President, North Korea Freedom Network
    Tel: (514) 616 3174
    Email: nkfn.mcgill AT gmail DOT com

    Submitted by: Beth Hong
  3. January 9th, 2007 at 3:04 am

    Dr. Vollertsen,
    I have been inspired by your recent activites in both North and South Korea over the past 5-6 years. I really want to make a difference and try and help and raise awareness of the plight of the North Koreans. If i can be of any help in your struggle to fight for the people of Korea please don't hesitate to contact me. Im located in Seoul and would really like to try and make a difference here to try and raise the awarenes within the expat population here.

    Keep up your inspirational work
    Peter Carney

    Submitted by: PeterC
  4. December 28th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

    Dr. Vollerstan,

    Your hunger strikes and campaign of hope for NK refugees have made a great impact on me. I am just soley and individual like yourself but what you have shown the world is how desperate NK's refugees need our help. Thank you for your loyalty, bravery and most of all your will to spread the message of social injustice. Through yuor tireless efforts, Kim Jong Il will meet his ruin and the people of NK will be free.

    Submitted by: Gina
  5. November 11th, 2006 at 12:07 pm

    Dr. Vollertsen,

    I cannot put into my words of love and graditude to what you are doing for the North Korean people. My heart goes out to you and others like you that sacrifice so this cause. You and many others like you are truly amazing and wonderful people. It is people like you that make this world worth living. You are an inspiration to everyone. Thank you for all you have done and sacrificed.

    You will be in my prayers. Good will conquer Evil. Bless you.

    Submitted by: Emily

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6/24/2007

North Korea Report

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North Korean guard peers through a window.
Geography:

This country covers 47,399 square miles and is about the size of New York State. It is located on the Korean Peninsula, between South Korea and China. The mostly mountainous terrain has encouraged the population to be concentrated on the coastal plains in the east. Only 16% of the country are considered cultivable, but many are employed in agriculture. The climate is mild, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Coal, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, tungsten and zinc are among the vast mineral deposits. Chief crops are corn, potatoes, soybeans, and rice. The capital city of Pyongyang has over two million people. Total population is recorded as 24 million people but a November 1997 report states that famine, malnutrition, starvation, and defections have dropped the count to 20 million.

Government:

After World War II, Korea was partitioned and a Communist regime installed in the North. It is considered one of the most repressive and isolated Communist regimes in the world today. This Marxist government attempts to control all activity, desire and thought of its citizens by early indoctrination deifying their former leader, Kim Il-Sung, and his son, who is the current leader, Kim Jong-Il. Any criticism of the Kim family or government policy has resulted in prison confinement.

Decades of Communism and the floods of August 1995 left 500,000 homeless and destroyed 1.5 million tons of grain, which added to the chronic food shortages already existing. The increased threat of starvation generates the potential for a riot or catastrophe.

North Korea marked the 49th anniversary of the founding of the Stalinist State with a new dynastic calendar based on the birth year of its founder, Kim Il-Sung. Juche, or self-reliance, is the North's State ideology and the new calendar, in the style of ancient Korean kingdoms, counts the first year of the Juche era as 1912 when Kim Il-Sung was born.

Religion:

In 1930 the capital city of Pyongyang was considered the Christian capital of Asia. During the Korean War thousands of Christians were martyred or fled the country. Today less than 1% of the population are Christian. The majority of North Koreans are atheist. Some practice Buddhism, animism or Confucianism.

There are three government built and operated churches in Pyongyang. These appear to be propaganda or "show" churches. But the church is not made of buildings. Though, little is known about the true or underground church our contacts report there are 60,000 to 100,000 Christians worshipping secretly in North Korea.

Persecution:

All religions are severely repressed and many are persecuted for attempting to worship in any fashion other than the governmental cult of Great Leader Kim. Christianity is perceived to be a dangerous threat with the potential to undermine the Kim family's deity.

Kim Il-Sung's mother was a Christian, however, he felt there was no place for such superstition in his regime. To fill the spiritual void Kim created the Juche philosophy. This ideology believes that man is the master of his own destiny and Koreans must look to themselves to create paradise on earth.

Kim Jong-Il and his father, the late Kim Il-Sung, are responsible for the murder or imprisonment of all known Christian leaders in North Korea's communist history.

North Korean police work together with Chinese police to catch defectors who have made it safely to China. They are forcibly taken back to North Korea. Many defectors carry rat poison to commit suicide in the event they are caught. These defectors used to be choked with rope but now are burned in public executions. Severe penalties are also given to the family of the defector.

Widespread famine in North Koran has caused over two million deaths. Reports of cannibalism, of emaciated babies, and of people foraging for grass and bark continue to reach the outside world. All dogs, cats and even rats have been eaten in an attempt to survive. Thankfully, because of the flooding and famine that have swept this nation, North Korea's isolationist government has been forced to open its borders to humanitarian aid from foreign countries. VOM has just shipped another container of food and clothing which includes tons of special packages with vitamins donated by Feed My Starving Children from Minnesota. Through our contacts we believe that this vital aid will reach men, women, and children at the village level and not stay in the capital for the military.

Orange vinyl bags, which have been printed with Korean Bible verses, are filled like balloons with helium and launched by night from areas so they will land in North Korea. The Voice of the Martyrs has launched hundreds of thousands of these scripture balloons since the first launch over 20 years ago. So not only food for the body but also food for the spirit is delivered to North Korea.

Radios in this government-controlled nation are adapted to receive only the government stations. Advice on how to alter these radios is smuggled in so that Koreans may hear the gospel. VOM helps to finance radio broadcasts of scripture.

Soon Ok Yi was imprisoned in a prison camp in Pyong An Nam-do province from 1987-1992, and though not a Christian at the time, she witnessed the execution and persecution of many Christians. Christians were often assigned to do the most difficult tasks in the camp such as clean up human excrement and work in front of an extremely hot furnace used for casting iron. One day she witnessed eight Christian prisoners being killed with molten iron poured on them from a furnace, yet the Christians were quiet and peaceful as they died.

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Overview of North Korea

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North Korea Map
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North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world and denies every kind of human right to its citizens. The government is believed to possess several nuclear weapons, and multination talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program were intermittent in 2005.

Religion: Non-Religious 64.31%, Traditional ethnic 16.00%, Chondogyo 13.50%, Buddhist 4.50%, and Christian 1.69% (The exact number of Christians is unknown. The figure is an estimate.)

Ideological Influence: One-man dictatorship with communist influence. The country's previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called "Juche," meaning self-reliance, which is enforced in every aspect of the culture by the ruling elite.

Head of State: Kim Jong Il, the son of deceased leader Kim Il Sung

Persecution: All religions have been harshly repressed. Many thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War. In 1953, there were about 300,000 Christians; however, the number has reduced to a few thousand today. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger.

Missionary Opportunity: There are three churches in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, but they are only for show. Many North Koreans have fled to China, some of them Christians, and have been known to return to North Korea to share the gospel. Any North Korean sent back by the Chinese government faces almost certain death. Despite the harsh conditions Christians face in North Korea, the Lord is adding to their numbers daily.

Testimony from North Korean Underground Church (05/16/2007)

Related Item: Killing Fields of North Korea, The

Full North Korea country report.
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3/28/2007

Be informed. Be changed. Take action.

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NORTH KOREA

North Korea North Korea

UPDATE:

Recent flooding in the country has triggered a massive relief operation by NGO's and foreign countries. An estimated 10,000 are expected to be dead, with thousands more homeless. The media is already calling it the worst flooding in North Korea in over a century. Considering the flooding that caused 3 million deaths happened only a decade ago, this recent estimation does not bode well for the already impoverished country of North Korea; another devastating famine looks all but imminent. Also, fresh reports of outbreaks of several diseases raise risks for an already severely malnourished population. International aid has also dried up as a result of the DPRK's missile and nuclear tests. At time of print, the WFP had only reached 10% of the funds needed to feed North Koreans for the 2007 year. Conditions are not improving in any sense.

INSIDE THE DPRK

CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THE DPRK

Primary accounts from defectors and satellite photos point to at least a dozen political prison camps and thirty more forced labor camps. The dozen camps house over 200,000 citizens deemed as dissenters or dangerous to the government. There have been accounts of forced abortions, biochemical experiments and forced manual labor (including for children), public executions, and various other cruel and severe punishments. Some reports from defectors indicate a standard policy that guards who capture or kill attempted escapees would be promised college tuition. As a result, guards would often force prisoners to climb a fence, then shoot them and claim government recognition and reward. North Korea is also the only country in the world that imprisons children as political dissenters — even the camps of Stalin and Mao did not practice such punishment upon children. One forced labor camp experienced so many deaths from beatings by the guards that the guards were told to be less violent.

RESTRICTIONS ON FREEDOM IN THE DPRK

Using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a benchmark, the government of North Korea has deliberately withheld from its own people every significant, internationally guaranteed right, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and protection from torture and slavery. Televisions and radios are built or adapted to allow for only government frequencies, and outside signals are blocked. The government requires all prayer and religious study to be supervised by the state and severely punishes North Koreans for worshipping independently in underground churches. Any seemingly innocuous actions such as whistling a South Korean pop song, refusing or forgetting to wear special pins with Kim Jong–Il or Kim Il–Sung, or expressing even minor grievances against the government, are considered political treason. Citizens that commit these "crimes" are often entered into the DPRK's system of re–education, forced labor and concentration camps.

HUNGER IN THE DPRK

In 1994, heavy rains hit North Korea, and nearly 5.4 million people were displaced, 330,000 hectares of agricultural land was destroyed, and 1.9 million tons of grain was swept away. North Korea's poor infrastructure was unable to cope with the flooding. As a result, famine ensued, and from 1995 to present, an estimated 2–3 million North Koreans have perished from starvation. Subsequent famines and floods have struck North Korea since 1994, further weakening their struggling economy, and today a quarter of its 24.6 million people remain critically dependent on foreign food aid for survival. In 2003, Amnesty International reported 13 million suffered from malnutrition — over 50% of North Koreaa's population. In 2005, the World Food Programme reported that 37% of all North Korean children were chronically malnourished. Defectors have reported citizens resorting to eating bugs, rodents, bark, and even human flesh in order to survive. Dysentery and other diseases run rampant throughout particularly the rural regions. Since 1995, the World Food Project has delivered four million tons of rations valued at US $1.3 billion dollars, and total food aid given by foreign countries to the DPRK amounts to over US $2 billion within the past decade. North Korea uses these rations to its own discretion; there is little monitoring allowed. The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea estimates that as much as 25%–30% of the aid does not actually go to those it is intended for.

OUTSIDE THE DPRK

NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES IN CHINA

LiNK estimates that up to 400,000 North Koreans have escaped to China, risking imprisonment, torture and execution, and remain in hiding from Chinese and North Korean authorities. Chinese authorities have placed bounties on the heads of these internationally–recognized refugees, and much larger bounties upon the heads of the activists who attempt to aid and protect these refugees. If caught by Chinese or North Korean authorities, these refugees are repatriated back to North Korea, where they face torture and possible execution. 70%–90% of North Korean women are sexually trafficked. They are captured and sold as chattel, concubines, or prostitutes. Some authorities of the People's Republic of China are directly complicit in the trafficking of women and girls from the DPRK into China by protecting the clubs where they are sold and by aggressively arresting and punishing those humanitarian workers who aid the women and girls in escaping from China. In addition, reports from LiNK field workers show that Chinese authorities that apprehend North Korean refugees often sell the refugees directly to slave traders and brokers themselves, an appalling violation of numerous laws even within China.

NORTH KOREAN CHILDREN IN CHINA

North Korean children who live in the streets have come to be called kkot–jebi ("flower swallows"). Usually orphans or unaccompanied minors, many of the children have either lost parents, been abandoned, or been separated. These children are usually younger boys, and make their presence often as beggars in markets, train stations, airports and sometimes karaoke bars and restaurants that cater to foreigners. The fortunate among them take refuge in shelters run by NGOs and organizations in the area, while teenagers often cross frequently between China and the DPRK to barter goods or bring small earnings back across the border to families in North Korea. During crackdowns by authorities in China, children are often the first to be rounded up. These kkot–jebi often learn "survival skills" from constantly being on the run, but many often arrive in third countries with serious psychological trauma from being sexually or physically abused while in China.

Many of these children have been born illegally in China, or crossed over at a very young age. As a result they become "stateless", lacking documents or identity papers marking them as North Korean. Because of their illegal status, these children have no opportunities for education and employment. A few have the opportunity to attend sympathizing schools run out of churches, and even fewer attend Chinese schools, for a significant fee. North Koreans have difficulty finding work; while in some rural areas there are opportunities to work on farms, fewer jobs are available in cities due to the much stronger police and military presence. All are at risk of exploitation and repatriation, and have no authorities to protect them.

NORTH KOREAN WOMEN IN CHINA

North Korean women in China are a vulnerable population, but can more easily lead relatively hidden lives in China as they can find jobs that require presence indoors — for example, housekeeping, or working as a governess. However, because of their insecure environments and their irregular status, women are often vulnerable to sexual exploitation, trafficking and abuse. North Korean women are often coerced, forced, or sometimes willingly sold and married to Chinese men. North Korean brides are usually sold for anywhere from 400–10,000 yuan (US $50–$1,250). Marriages involving undocumented North Korean women are not legally binding, and thus leave women still vulnerable to being caught and repatriated. In other cases, women are kidnapped and sold as sexual slaves or are forced to work in brothels or karaoke bars, and are sometimes sold multiple times over. Many trafficked women remain in their circumstances because they feel helpless and powerless to change their situation. Other women sometimes choose to make larger money as hostesses or in karaoke bars in order to buy help from smugglers in the hopes of making it safely to a third country.


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