North Korean Human Rights Act becomes law

By Tom Strode - Oct 15, 2004

President Bush signed into law Oct. 18 the North Korean Human Rights Act.

The president’s action came two weeks after final congressional approval. The House of Representatives passed the bill without opposition in a voice vote Oct. 4. The Senate had endorsed the measure by unanimous consent Sept. 30.

The bill is designed to assist people living under one of the world’s most repressive regimes, as well as refugees who flee from the communist dictatorship.

The U.S. State Department has designated North Korea as one of eight “countries of particular concern,” a label reserved for the most severe violators of religious freedom. The regime’s human rights violations include widespread detention, torture and execution of political prisoners, including Christians. It also has diverted foreign food aid to the military and the black market, according to reports from human rights organizations.

The new law establishes the position of special envoy for North Korean human rights and calls for U.S. negotiations with the regime to be tied to human rights progress. It also authorizes the President to provide funds for nonprofit groups in order to advance human rights and democracy in the country. It seeks to assure increased protection for North Korean refugees. In addition, the bill requires verification that humanitarian and non-humanitarian aid is used for non-political purposes.

The ERLC and other members of a diverse coalition worked for the bill’s passage.

When the House passed the bill, ERLC Vice President Barrett Duke called it “a wonderful victory for the millions of suffering North Koreans. This bill, and the unanimous vote it received, sends an unmistakable message to [dictator] Kim Jong Il that we will not turn a blind eye to his treatment of his people in exchange for his empty promises on weapons of mass destruction.”

In the last two years, North Korea has acknowledged it has been secretly developing nuclear weapons.

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