NORTH KOREA FREEDOM COALITION URGES FULL FUNDING FOR NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
Washington , D.C. , June 22, 2005_The North Korea Freedom Coalition, a
nonpartisan group of nearly 50 American, Korean American and international
human rights, religious, and non-governmental organizations representing
millions of American citizens, strongly urges Congress to make the full
funding of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-333) a
top priority of the appropriations bill.
In letters directed to Appropriations Committee leaders Senator Mitch
McConnell and Congressman Jim Kolbe, the NKFC wrote:
“We believe this funding is not only vitally needed, but a reflection of the
desire of both the U.S. Congress and the Administration to address the
horrific situation facing the North Korean refugees, while simultaneously
reaching out to the North Korean people.
“When President George W. Bush signed the North Korean Human Rights Act into
law on October 18, 2004, the White House pledged to ‘work with concerned
states in the region and internationally to take steps to improve the lives
of the average North Korean.’ ”
“Each day hundreds of North Koreans are dying from starvation, from torture
in the political prison camps, and by execution for the crime of leaving the
country. We believe that full funding for this legislation will have an
immediate impact in saving the lives of North Koreans, as the legislation
authors fully intended.”
The legislation, which unanimously passed the Congress last fall, authorizes
$20 million annually in humanitarian assistance to the North Korean refugees
while providing $2 million for programs promoting human rights and democracy
for North Korea and $2 million for activities to promote freedom of
information inside North Korea .
Although the North Korean Human Rights Act passed the Congress unanimously,
the legislation passed so late in the Congressional session that the funding
called for in the legislation was not included in the FY2005 appropriations
bill.
