[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 145 (Thursday, September 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2011

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, the Democratic People's 
Republic of Korea is known to be the world's most isolated country, as 
its citizens are prohibited from traveling either internally or 
internationally without permission. Communications with the outside 
world also are tightly regulated in attempts by the dictatorship regime 
to filter all information accessible by the North Korean people.
  Therefore, the testimony provided last week by our distinguished 
panel, and in particular our two defector witnesses, was particularly 
welcome and appreciated. Mrs. Kim Young Soon and Mrs. Kim Hye Sook, who 
both have survived the extreme deprivations of the North Korean prison 
camps, travelled all the way from South Korea to share their 
experiences with us. On behalf of the subcommittee, I wish to convey to 
them our sincere gratitude.
  They spoke on behalf of the estimated 150,000 to 200,000 prisoners 
currently held in North Korea's penal-labor camps. It is our hope that 
their testimony will help to galvanize the international community to 
take action to secure the freedom of those who are needlessly suffering 
and dying under truly horrific conditions.
  Those living in the prison camps are not the only ones suffering in 
North Korea. As one of our witnesses, Suzanne Scholte, testified, in 
North Korea every single human right enshrined in the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights is violated. North Korea is listed by the 
State Department as a ``Tier 3'' country with respect to human 
trafficking. It was just re-designated this month as one of eight 
``Countries of Particular Concern'' for its egregious violations of 
religious freedom.
  But not all the testimony during the hearing was bleak. We heard 
about new potential for communication to and with the North Korean 
people, and explored possibilities for peaceful change given upcoming 
political events in North Korea and changes in other countries in the 
region. We look forward to discussing this potential to improve the 
lives of all North Koreans.
  Once again, I would like to thank our witnesses for joining us last 
week.

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