Dear Friends:

 

A quick update and an action item on efforts to save the North Korean refugees in China.  Regarding your appeals to President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao and encouragement for President Lee Myung Bak, we can clearly see momentum shifting to our side on this issue.

 

 

Responding to President Lee's concerns about the refugees, Chinese President Hu Jintao has agreed to allow the eleven North Koreans, held up in South Korean consulates in China for several years, to go to South Korea.  Hu also said that China respects the position of South Korea on this issue and is giving consideration.  This is very significant, but China has not reversed its plan to continue its repatriation policy, so efforts must continue.

 

As a reminder of just how important this is, check out this story by Madison Park of CNN about three

refugees from a family of 8 that made it to America in 2008.  As horrible as their experiences were, this family will be the first to tell you that it is even worse now for the refugees as they recently testified to Congress:

In North Korea, a brutal choice  By Madison Park, CNN

 

Last week, the resolution calling for China to stop the repatriation of North Korean refugees was introduced in the U.S. Congress and this morning the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012.  This Act, named in honor of two North Korea human rights champions Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz will likely come up for a vote in the Congress in mid- to late- April. 

 

All U.S. Citizens at home and abroad, please consider taking the following action in support of both the Resolution and the Act by following the instructions below.  While the NKHR Act does mention the North Korea refugee issue as well, the Resolution is also important because it speaks directly to China.  We need to show Hu Jintao that there is united opinion and continued concern on this issue.  This resolution will go nowhere unless Members of Congress here from YOU. 

 

Acta Non Verba,

Suzanne Scholte

 

Support Resolution on North Korea Refugees: Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask that he or she co-sponsor H.Con. Res. 109 Expressing the sense of Congress that the People's Republic of China should not repatriate North Korea refugees. 

You can see the full text of the Resolution here:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.CON.RES.109:

 

Support the Reauthorization of the North Korea Human Rights Act: Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask that he or she co-sponsor H.R. 4240Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012

You can see the full text of the Act here: