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The North Korea: Witness to Transformation blog was started in connection with our book of the same name. This was a work based on refugee surveys and the plight of North Korean refugees remains close to our hearts. Please see the announcement copied below.
Where in the world will you be on Thursday, September 24, Save North Korean Refugees Day? Will you join efforts to take action to help the refugees attempting to escape the brutal dictatorship in North Korea?
Please see below how you can be a part of this day.
For September 24, the North Korea Freedom Coalition and the International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea are calling for people around the world to take part in the annual Save North Korean Refugees Day.
For those cities that have Chinese embassies and consulates, we are simply asking for a letter of appeal to be hand delivered to these embassies and consulates calling for China to abide by its international treaty obligations and stop forcefully repatriating North Korean refugees. The appeal should include the letter Justice Michael Kirby sent to the PRC when he was Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry and concluded the government of North Korea to be responsible for crimes against humanity. His letter to the PRC outlines the ways in which Chinese authorities have participated in those crimes.
A sample letter that you can deliver from your NGO and Justice Kirby’s letter are available at www.nkfreedom.org. Additional activities are up to the individual coordinators.
For those cities without Chinese embassies or consulates, you can join us as a Solidarity City, by organizing an event in support. This could include hosting a presentation (or a book signing!) by a North Korean defector at your church or college, inviting your neighbors to view a film like Crossing or a documentary like Crossing Heaven's Border, to educate them about the issue. You can also ask people to support one of the NGOs directly involved in rescuing North Korean refugees like NKinUSA or PSALT (USA) or Helping Hands Korea or New Korea Women’s Alliance (Republic of Korea).
For those of you in the WASHINGTON, DC metropolitan area, we are planning several events including the petition delivery in the afternoon and a candlelight vigil at 8 pm across from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The NKinUSA is also planning a special event in the late afternoon/early evening. We need volunteers for these events especially the reading of THE LIST of those forced back to North Korea by China at the Candlelight Vigil. This is a powerful event you will not want to miss!
