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The North Korea Freedom Coalition has sent out immediate action items calling for assistance in their effort to promote freedom and human rights in North Korea. We append the letter in full below:
Dear Friends:
Please find below a number of action items and events coming up for the promotion of the freedom, human rights and dignity of the North Korean people. Note several events listed below are coming up next week in Washington, D.C., including a presentation by Justice Michael Kirby, who chaired the United Nation's Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, at the Brookings Institution on Monday afternoon plus some very important action items!
Three important immediate action items:
1) 11th Annual North Korea Freedom Week in Seoul : if you plan to be part of the delegation traveling to Seoul for the 11th annual North Korea Freedom (Is Coming!) Week April 27-May 4, please let me know as soon as possible as we are preparing hotel reservations and transportation plans. Even if you cannot attend the whole week, but only part, just let us know as this will help in planning transportation to and from events that week. As previously announced, this year's North Korea Freedom Week will be unlike any before as it will focus on what preparations are needed to save lives and transform North Korea the moment the Kim Jong Eun regime ends. As in the past, the week will include opening events at the Korean War Memorial, Seatu Church and at the Korean National Assembly, and a week of seminars, rallies, film screenings, and other events to promote the freedom, human rights and dignity of the North Korean people.
2) Support Balloon Launch to North Korea; NKFW 2014: for the next balloon launch as part of NKFW 2014, we will be sending in a special message along with the Korean version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since this year's NKFW is focused on transforming North Korea once the Kim Jong Eun regime ends, the message explains the background on how this document came to be after the horrors of World War II. It also explains how North Koreans are the only people in the world denied every single one of these universally accepted rights as the result of Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who founded the DPRK in 1948, the same year the UDHR was adopted. We are about 50% towards raising the funds for this special launch and need financial support as well for the daily transmission of Free North Korea Radio. Recent reports indicate that FNKR continues to be the most targeted radio broadcast for jamming by the DPRK, which we believe is because they are so effective at breaking stories about what is happening inside the Kim Jong Eun regime. The daily broadcast during North Korea Freedom (Is Coming) Week is especially critical so that those who continue to suffer in the world's worst dictatorship will know there are many fighting for them. If you can support the NKFW balloon launch and continued broadcast of FNKR at this critical time, please consider sending a tax-deductible donation to DFF, 3014 Castle Road, Falls Church, VA 22044 or you can donate on line at www.defenseforumfoundation.org or at www.nkfreedom.org
3) Support HR 1771 -- I am pleased to report that Congressman Ed Royce has reported that the markup for HR 1771, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act is scheduled for late May. If you are a U.S. Citizen and have not sent in your letter in support to your Senators and Congressmen, it is really important to write your representative. Sample letters and information are available at our www.nkfreedom.org website. One of the recommendations made by the UN COI was targeted sanctions against the DPRK regime -- which is exactly what HR 1771 accomplishes. Let's give President Obama and his administration the tools that are needed to pressure this regime that every day is committing "unspeakable atrocities" and "crimes against humanity" against innocent men, women and children in North Korea
HRNK Upcoming Events this Coming Week in Washington DC on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday on North Korea Human Rights: Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, extends an invitation to all for these following events coming up this week that are being organized and co-hosted by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. On April 14, HRNK will co-host, with the Brookings Institution, COI Chairman Michael Kirby at 3 pm at the Brookings Institution. On April 15, HRNK will launch “Illicit: North Korea’s Evolving Operations to Earn Hard Currency,” at The Brookings Institution at 2 pm to be followed by an evening Korea Club event with Dr. Hye-Won Ko. On April 17, HRNK will co-host, with KEI and the International Council on Korean Studies (ICNK), the 2014 Annual Conference of the International Council of Korean Studies. These events are all open to the public, but RSVP is required, by contacting HRNK Intern Daniel Hwang at: [email protected],
Some Great News to Share-- Another Successful Rescue, But Situation Worse Than Ever for Refugees in China: We have successfully accomplished another rescue working with North Koreans in the USA and are pleased to report that a young North Korean woman made it safely to the USA recently. Thank you for the prayers and support for this young lady who can now start a new life free from persecution and danger. We are still working to resettle a teen age girl who wishes to come to the USA. The situation facing the refugees in China is worse than ever. In fact, the Congressional Executive Commission on China has prepared an excellent report highlighting the increasing danger facing North Korean Refugees which is taken from the testimonies given during the UN Commission of Inquiry. The report can be found here at:
Events are being planned during North Korea Freedom Week on May 3 in Seoul and May 4 in Busan to continue focus on the North Korean refugees. We will be posting more details on NKFW 2014 both on the North Korea Freedom Coalition website and the Free North Korea Radio website next week.
ACTA NON VERBA,
Suzanne
Suzanne Scholte
Chairman
North Korea Freedom Coalition