Isolation
By: Marya Smith
North Korea, one of the world’s most secluded and secretive countries, isolates itself from the outside world inflicting their citizens with a remote and tortuous lifestyle. Using murder, suffering, slavery, sexual violence, mass starvation, and many other abuses to keep their people under their rule, North Korea disregards multiple act of humanity and basic human rights. As their ruling limits the nation’s freedom and especially every humans right of the liberty to belief and religion, North Korea acts against Article 18 from the Universal Declaration of Human rights stating, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
Currently, North Korea's strict leader Kim Jong-un directs his citizens to follow a religion or philosophy known as Juche. The Juche religion is the only religion in North Korea and is the worship of the Kim Dynasty, preaching self-reliance and justifying the current political structure of totalitarianism. While the government in North Korea says it openly accepts religious freedom, the government doesn’t actually permit religious freedom. The North Korean Government persecutes religious individuals practicing other religions, but makes it look to outsiders like religious expression is free.
Every North Korean is forced to hang a picture of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong II in their homes and suffer severe consequences if not properly taken care of or worst not hung at all. Everyday North Koreans are beat and humiliated if caught speaking or believing again Kim Jong-un. International bodies and humanitarian aid groups should be allowed to carry out detailed investigations in the country. Currently North Korea claims to the U.N. commission that human right violations “do not exist” in their country although refuse to let people enter to investigate. In order to arouse change in this enclosed country the U.N. Security Council needs to refer the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court so that those who are responsible for human right abuses are held accountable.
The worst thing people can do is ignore the problem in North Korea and hope one day it eventually goes away. We as a world must take this information and put into our own hands. There are many ways we can help the North Koreans through organizations like Crossing Borders and Liberty in North Korea. Ask yourself, would if this was me? Help the North Korean people today by donating, volunteering, tweeting, and hosting events, for we might be North Koreans only hope. Coming together as a union and using our resources to go against North Korea, changes can be made in this inaccessible country that can bring a bright future to all North Koreans.
Currently, North Korea's strict leader Kim Jong-un directs his citizens to follow a religion or philosophy known as Juche. The Juche religion is the only religion in North Korea and is the worship of the Kim Dynasty, preaching self-reliance and justifying the current political structure of totalitarianism. While the government in North Korea says it openly accepts religious freedom, the government doesn’t actually permit religious freedom. The North Korean Government persecutes religious individuals practicing other religions, but makes it look to outsiders like religious expression is free.
Every North Korean is forced to hang a picture of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong II in their homes and suffer severe consequences if not properly taken care of or worst not hung at all. Everyday North Koreans are beat and humiliated if caught speaking or believing again Kim Jong-un. International bodies and humanitarian aid groups should be allowed to carry out detailed investigations in the country. Currently North Korea claims to the U.N. commission that human right violations “do not exist” in their country although refuse to let people enter to investigate. In order to arouse change in this enclosed country the U.N. Security Council needs to refer the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court so that those who are responsible for human right abuses are held accountable.
The worst thing people can do is ignore the problem in North Korea and hope one day it eventually goes away. We as a world must take this information and put into our own hands. There are many ways we can help the North Koreans through organizations like Crossing Borders and Liberty in North Korea. Ask yourself, would if this was me? Help the North Korean people today by donating, volunteering, tweeting, and hosting events, for we might be North Koreans only hope. Coming together as a union and using our resources to go against North Korea, changes can be made in this inaccessible country that can bring a bright future to all North Koreans.
Works Cited:
Juche Religion. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.billionbibles.org/north-korea/juche-religion.html
Korea, North. (2014, April 11). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html
Pearson, M., Hanna, J., Jiang, S., & Hancocks, P. (2014, February 18). 'Abundant evidence' of crimes against humanity in North Korea, panel says. Retrieved May 11, 2014, from
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/17/world/asia/north-korea-un-report/
Religion - The Religion of North Korea. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://www.northkoreanchristians.com/religion-north-korea.html
Korea, North. (2014, April 11). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html
Pearson, M., Hanna, J., Jiang, S., & Hancocks, P. (2014, February 18). 'Abundant evidence' of crimes against humanity in North Korea, panel says. Retrieved May 11, 2014, from
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/17/world/asia/north-korea-un-report/
Religion - The Religion of North Korea. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://www.northkoreanchristians.com/religion-north-korea.html