Summary
On the same day, 7
September 1999, while the world moved to express concern
on atrocities in East Timor, more than 30 Catholic
priests from 12 dioceses of the Korean Priests'
Associations for Justice (KPAJ) have shaved their heads
and entered a no-time limit fast and prayer to urge the
Korean government to abolish the National Security Law (NSL).
Several priest who were in fast for 22 days were
hospitalized on 29 September. Their health condition is a
matter of serious concern.
The South Korean people and people of other Asian
countries remember the promise of opposition leader Kim
Dae-jung that he would abolish the NSL because it
violates human rights, and his insistence on the need to
enact an alternative law on national security which will
not violate the rights of Korean people. Years have
passed since the inauguration of the new government in
Korea. However, the people are still disappointed by the
lack of positive measures to deal with the NSL. A
signature campaign was launched in December last year on
the 50th Anniversary of the enactment of the NSL to
abolish the NSL in Korea. Up till now hundreds of people
are still detained on the charge of violating the NSL.
A statement on the fast and prayer of the KPAJ reads,
"The abolition of the NSL is the people's desire and
the request of international society...we will do our
best to make solidarity with other religions and all
groups of good-will until the NSL will be abolished."
As long as the NSL exists, the condition of human rights
can never be expected to improve.
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| Action Requested As the fast and prayer is going on, the
health of the priests is a serious concern, please
urgently write polite letters to the South Korean
government to express your deep concern and urge that
practical steps be taken to abolish the NSL in accordance
with the people's and international society's desire.
SEND LETTERS OR FAXES TO:
Mr.Kim Dae-jung President of the Republic of Korea
The Blue House, 1 Sejong-no, Chongno-gu, Seoul, Republic
of KOREA
Email: webmaster@cwd.go.kr
Fax: 82-2-770 0253
c.c.: Diplomatic representatives of Korea in your country.
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Background
The NSL states its
purpose to be to "control anti-state activities
which endanger the national security." It defines an
"anti-state" organization as a group, in South
Korea or abroad, "organized for the purpose of
assuming a title of government of disturbing the state"
or which "operates along the line of the communists"
for the same purpose. It also contains a number of
specific offences such as "praising, encouraging of
siding with an anti-state organization" (i.e. North
Korea), and illegally meeting or communicating with a
person who belongs to an "anti-state organization."
The arbitrariness of the law's application and the
vagueness of its definition of an "anti-state"
organization and activities are widely objected. The law
does not make any distinction between groups that use or
advocate violence and those that do not, and since its
promulgation in 1960 it has been used extensively to
detain non-violent critics of the government.
Regarding the international concern about the NSL, in
1992, the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations (HRCUN)
urged the Korean government to abolish it gradually in
order to protect the human rights and the State
Department of the United States recommended the same in
1994. The special rapporteur of the HRCUN, in 1995,
pointed out problematic elements of the NSL and
recommended the government to repeal it by urging
unconditional release of all those who are imprisoned for
the reason that they exercised their right of free
expression. Again in 1998, regarding an NSL's case the
HRCUN said that the Korean government has restricted the
freedom of expression stipulated in article 19 of the
International Human Rights' Regulation B. HRCUN urged the
government to make appropriate correction. However, the
Korean government said it "wouldn't consider neither
amendment nor abolishment of the NSL because it had
prohibited already any extended interpretation of the NSL."
Until now the NSL has been used to abuse the people's
human right and to oppress political opponents. Serious
abuses of the NSL during the years of President Kim's
governance are confirmed by the following facts; mass
arrest and imprisonment of as many as 413 people which
took place in a single month between the late May and
throughout the month of June, adding up to a total 744
detentions in 1997; until now hundreds of people have
been charged with violation of the NSL.
To show the desire to abolish the NSL, apart from the
group of priests more than 300 civilians from several
NGOs and religious organizations, Protestant and
Buddhist, participated in several activities; prayer
meetings, campaigns, and public hearings were organized
since 31 August 1999. Moreover, more than 2,000 Catholics
including priests and religious issued an anti-NSL
declaration on 25 August urging the government to abolish
the law as soon as possible, "because it has
violated the people's freedom of conscience and
expression severely."
The latest press conference organized on September 28,
1999, by 120 civic groups and NGOs including the Catholic
Priests' Association for Justice and Korean Confederation
of Trade Unions issued a statement to launch a pan-national
solidarity campaign to abolish the NSL. A rally will be
held in Seoul on October 2 under the name of "Day
for Pan-National Action." They are planning for the
demonstrations on 16th and 30th of October as well.
Partial amendment or an alternative law cannot be the
solution to root out the abuses of the NSL that has been
practiced for half century. Unless the NSL is abolished,
the freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of
expression which are the key elements of the foundation
of democracy will continue to be abused.
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