ID :
206934
Tue, 09/13/2011 - 21:47
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https://oananews.org//node/206934
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U.S. gov't accuses N. Korea of oppressing religious groups
By Lee Chi-dong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea shows no signs of addressing longstanding international concerns over its crackdown on religious activities, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday in an annual report.
In an update to the International Religious Freedom Report, the department said the communist regime deals harshly with people who engage in religious practices it deems unacceptable, while using some state-sponsored religious organizations as a propaganda tool.
"The government of the Democratic Republic of North Korea continued to violate individuals' right to choose and practice their religious faiths," it said. "The government reportedly used authorized religious entities for external propaganda and political purposes and barred citizens from entering places of worship."
The department admitted that its findings on North Korea's stance on religion depends on claims by nongovernmental groups, defectors or refugees, due to its limited access to the reclusive nation.
The report, submitted to Congress, quoted them as saying that the North executed some people engaged in "religious activities such as proselytism and contact with foreigners" in recent years.
"Defector reports indicated the government increased its investigation, repression and persecution of unauthorized religious groups in recent years, but access to information on current conditions was limited," it added. "Reports from NGOs, refugees, defectors, and missionaries indicated that persons engaged in proselytizing or who had ties to overseas groups operating across the border in China, have been arrested and subjected to harsh punishment."
The department has designated North Korea as a "Country of Particular Concern" since 2001 under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
"Some governments, such as Iran and North Korea, seek to control religious thought and expression as part of a more comprehensive determination to control all aspects of political and civic life," it said.
On South Korea, the report said the government "generally respected religious freedom in law and in practice."
But it gave detailed information on South Korea's punishment of those who refuse mandatory military service for religious beliefs.
"The law does not allow for conscientious objectors, who can receive a maximum three-year prison sentence," it said.
As of September 2010, there were 141 conscientious objector cases on appeal in the Supreme Court and nine cases before the Constitutional Court, two of which involved reservists, added the report, based on information from a civic group.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea shows no signs of addressing longstanding international concerns over its crackdown on religious activities, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday in an annual report.
In an update to the International Religious Freedom Report, the department said the communist regime deals harshly with people who engage in religious practices it deems unacceptable, while using some state-sponsored religious organizations as a propaganda tool.
"The government of the Democratic Republic of North Korea continued to violate individuals' right to choose and practice their religious faiths," it said. "The government reportedly used authorized religious entities for external propaganda and political purposes and barred citizens from entering places of worship."
The department admitted that its findings on North Korea's stance on religion depends on claims by nongovernmental groups, defectors or refugees, due to its limited access to the reclusive nation.
The report, submitted to Congress, quoted them as saying that the North executed some people engaged in "religious activities such as proselytism and contact with foreigners" in recent years.
"Defector reports indicated the government increased its investigation, repression and persecution of unauthorized religious groups in recent years, but access to information on current conditions was limited," it added. "Reports from NGOs, refugees, defectors, and missionaries indicated that persons engaged in proselytizing or who had ties to overseas groups operating across the border in China, have been arrested and subjected to harsh punishment."
The department has designated North Korea as a "Country of Particular Concern" since 2001 under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
"Some governments, such as Iran and North Korea, seek to control religious thought and expression as part of a more comprehensive determination to control all aspects of political and civic life," it said.
On South Korea, the report said the government "generally respected religious freedom in law and in practice."
But it gave detailed information on South Korea's punishment of those who refuse mandatory military service for religious beliefs.
"The law does not allow for conscientious objectors, who can receive a maximum three-year prison sentence," it said.
As of September 2010, there were 141 conscientious objector cases on appeal in the Supreme Court and nine cases before the Constitutional Court, two of which involved reservists, added the report, based on information from a civic group.
