Last Friday afternoon, PSCORE hosted its own side event “Unprotected and Exploited: North Korean Women and Children” at the 34th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The new UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the DPRK, Tomás Ojea Quintana, shared his insights on the current Human Rights situation in the country, and so did Sonja Biserko, representing a group of independent experts.
Our founder Young-il Kim spoke about his own personal experience living in and defecting from North Korea, and shared PSCORE’s findings concerning violence on and discrimination of women and children in the DPRK. He was joined on the panel by three North Korean Defectors, Ju Yeon Choi, So Yeon Lee and Kyung Ho Park, who all provided their chilling testimonies on the violence, fear and misery they had to endure before having successfully defected to the South.
Next, and last on PSCORE’s itinerary at the UNHRC this year, will be Young-Il’s oral statement today.
The international Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea is a joint effort of over 40 Human Rights groups wolrdwide that seeks to protect the Human Rights of North Koreans and to hold the Pyongyang government accountable for its abuses and violations of the Human Rights of the North Korean people.
Members and supporters of the Coalition include:
Advocates International Global Council
Asia Justice and Rights
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
Asian Human Rights & Humanity Association of Japan
Burma Partnership (Thailand)
Christian Lawyers Association for Paraguay
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (USA)
Conectas (Brazil)
Council for Human Rights in North Korea (Canada)