Anju Links for 6 May 2008
MORE PROTESTS against China’s repatriation of North Korean refugees are scheduled to take place in Seoul. The theme: “No human rights, no Olympics.” If you live in the area and have a good videocamera (riot gear would also help) there’s probably a time that’s convenient for you:
* Tuesday, 5/6, 2 pm, Chinese embassy, Seoul
* Every week Thursday candlelight demonstration
* Thursday, Date: 5/8, 7 pm, Seoul City Hall square
* Every day at noon at the Chinese consulate near Namsan cable car
* Every Sat at 3 pm in Insadong, near Anguk subway station.
I post ’em when I get ’em. Bring your riot gear and a good videocamera.
FOR THOSE IN NEW YORK, Shin Dong Hyuk (scroll down) will be the guest at a brown bag lunch today from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Columbia Center for the Study of Human Rights, International Affairs Building, Room 1118, 420 W. 118th St., New York, NY 10027 (118th St. between Amsterdam and Morningside). RSVP: joseph@linkglobal.org [Corrected]
LiNK WILL ALSO HOST an invitation-only screening of “Crossing.” Don’t miss this if you have a chance to see it.
CLAUDIA ROSETT CALLS OUT PRESIDENT BUSH and the Democrats for hypocrisy on human rights:
How horrible, then, that despite Bush’s lip service to the cause of liberty for North Korea, the thrust of U.S. policy is to delay, rather than hasten, that moment of freedom. Indeed, in Washington over the last 15 years, it has become the practice of both Democratic and Republican administrations to do business with Kim while soft-pedaling protest over the atrocities he inflicts on his own people. [Philadelphia Enquirer]
Why, it’s as if their actions don’t match their words. It would be facile to say that all politicians do this, but we have the examples of Sam Brownback, Howard Berman, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to the contrary. It would be more accurate to say that Bush’s own views on these issues turned out to be a mile wide, but an inch deep. True conviction requires depth.
FREEDOM HOUSE E-MAILS bleak but not unexpected news about the U.N. Human Rights Council, which was supposed to address, in part, the shame of Libya having chaired the former U.N. Human Rights Commission:
A quarter of the countries vying for seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council have dismal human rights records that should disqualify them from membership, according to a new report from Freedom House and UN Watch. However, at least two of the five countries in question–Gabon and Zambia–are guaranteed seats because of a lack of competition from more democratic countries.
“Democratic countries are squandering a golden opportunity to promote human rights through this important UN body,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch. “Instead, they lend international credibility to repressive governments that routinely violate the rights of their own citizens.”
UN Watch and Freedom House released their findings today at UN headquarters. Their report comes as the UN General Assembly prepares to elect 15 new Human Rights Council members, or one-third of the body’s membership, on May 21. Each regional group is apportioned a specific number of seats. However, in two of the five regional groups–Africa and Latin America–the number of countries running does not exceed the number of open seats.
The study found five countries Not Qualified including: Gabon, Bahrain, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zambia. All of these countries except Bahrain are incumbent candidates. In addition, the report questioned the eligibility of Brazil, East Timor and Burkina Faso, whose human rights records are mixed.