Fiona Bruce MP hosts the launch of ‘North Korean Refugees Solidarity Worldwide.’
On Thursday 10th October Fiona Bruce MP hosted the launch of the new organisation, ‘North Korean Refugees Solidarity Worldwide (NKRSW),’ during North Korean Freedom Week in the Houses of Parliament.
The purpose of NKRSW is to coordinate and promote global solidarity of North Korean refugees and human rights activists worldwide. The aims of North Korea Freedom Week include revealing the reality of human rights violations in North Korea and building a global network of organisations to work effectively together for human rights in North Korea. Here in the UK supporters continue to press for a Korean language broadcast of the BBC World Service.
At the launch of NKRSW attendees heard powerful presentations from North Korean escapees and former political prisoners, including 26 year-old Jo Jin-hye who escaped from North Korea in 2006 amid the great famine after the torturing of her father to death and witnessing her two brothers starve to death.
Fiona Bruce MP, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea commented:
‘It was a privilege to host the launch of the ‘North Korea Refugees Solidarity Worldwide. After South Korea, here in the UK we have the most North Korean refugees of any country in the world – some 500 - and, therefore, we have a very important role to play in helping to support North Korean refugees here who one day hope to return to their country and to help build a far better North Korea than they left. There are many ways in which we can help and this very importantly includes highlighting human rights abuses there – such as the recently reported use of prisoners to test chemical weapons – and supporting refugees in their endeavours to instigate change. I believe it is essential that we continue to fight for freedom and justice for the people of North Korea, the most persecuted people on earth, and whilst we should hope for a better future we should do more than just watch and wait for it.’
