On October 4, the House approved, by voice vote, Senate amendments to the North Korea Human Rights Act (H.R. 4011). The House approved the original measure on July 21 (see The Source, 7/23/04). The Senate approved the bill with amendments on September 28 (see The Source, 10/1/04). It will now go to the White House for President Bush’s signature.
H.R. 4011 would authorize $100 million annually through FY2008 for humanitarian assistance and the expansion of the World Food Program into North Korea. The measure would provide $2 million for grants to private, nonprofit organizations promoting human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and the development of a market economy in North Korea. Under the bill, grants could be authorized for “appropriate educational and cultural exchange programs with North Korean participants.”
According to the bill, “North Korean women and girls, particularly those who have fled into China, are at risk of being kidnapped, trafficked, and sexually exploited inside China, where many are sold as brides or concubines, or forced to work as prostitutes.” The measure also states that “according to credible reports, including eyewitness testimony provided to the United States Congress, North Korean Government officials prohibit live births in prison camps, and forced abortion and the killing of newborn babies are standard prison practices.” The measure would provide $20 million for humanitarian and legal assistance to North Korean refugees, orphans, and women who are victims of trafficking. H.R. 4011 also would set guidelines for determining refugee status and asylum eligibility for North Koreans.
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) said that the North Korea Human Rights Act would “press the administration to actively pursue a human rights and humanitarian agenda with North Korea, as we also attempt to resolve our security differences with the North,” adding, “According to the annual State Department Human Rights Report, North Korea is one of the world’s worst human rights abusers. Over the past decade, millions of North Korean citizens starved to death because of their own government’s gross incompetence, while the North Korean leadership lived a luxurious life in their tucked-away villas. The North Korean gulags, furthermore, overflow with North Korean prisoners with no hope of release. North Korea does not hold free and fair elections, and there is no freedom of the press. North Korean citizens do not have the right to speak out against their government or to practice a religion. In short…the North Korean people have no hope of changing their government unless the United States and other world democracies stand up for freedom in North Korea.”
Addressing the human rights situation outside of North Korea, Rep. James Leach (R-IA) stated, “North Koreans outside of North Korea are also uniquely vulnerable. Many thousands are hiding inside China, which currently refuses to allow the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to evaluate and identify genuine refugees among the North Korean migrant population. China forcibly returns North Koreans to North Korea, where they routinely face imprisonment, torture, and sometimes execution. Inside China, North Korean women and girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and sexual exploitation.” He added, “Provoked by these crises, this broadly bipartisan legislation aims to promote international cooperation on human rights and refugee protection and increased transparency in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of North Korea.”
