As I mentioned before, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004 on Thursday. The one-of-a-kind Cheong Wook-sik, of course, was dismayed by this development, and he wrote OhMyNews (English) to express his concerns. During my interview with the Joongang Ilbo, I tried — unsuccessfully — to explain why some Western leftists have problems taking Koreans progressives seriously. Perhaps this might help:
Progressive human rights groups in South Korea, including the Sarangbang Group for Human Rights, Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and the Good Friends Center for Peace, Human Rights, and Refugees, have been opposed to the NK Human Rights Act. The bill would have no substantial effect in improving human rights, and instead would negatively influence humanitarian aid and the peace process on the Korean peninsula.
That’s right — progressive human rights groups campaigning against human rights legislation out of concern for the feelings of a dictatorial regime (actually, two of them, as they are also concerned about bruising China’s feelings). As a realist, I can appreciate the realpolitik issues (and, in fact, I actually see Cheong’s points), but where was this appreciation of international realities from Korean progressives when it was U.S. silence in the face of (relatively minor, compared to the North) human rights abuses by the Park and Chun regimes in South Korea? All I see here is the same thing leftists generally blame the U.S. (and U.S. conservatives, in particular) for, i.e., determining concern for human rights abuses according to the foreign policy of the states concerned.
(Hat tip to the Oranckay)
11 Comments
Help, can…stop…knee…from…jerking…uncontrollably…while…mouth…spews…random…thoughtless…shit..in…all…directions.
Sincerely yours,
ddongae [p.s. it wasn't really my knee I was jerking.]
That’s an ANSWER?
re: “human rights legislation” - just because you say it, doesn’t make it so. your argument rests on the bogus assumption that this bill actually has any concern for anything approaching the betterment of lives, as opposed to the hegemonic extension of power. if you are going to make bogus claims about faux “human rights” legislation, fine. but if you are going to make bogus claims about western leftists, why don’t you at least name a few who fit your claim? they can’t take korean progressives seriously? put down the pipe, marmot. contrary to your deep and abiding anti-korean bias (nearing enmity at times), there are those in the west who actually look to korean progressives not with awkward bemusement but with pride and awe in their achievements bringing down a military dictatorship. perhaps like how you feel when chillin’ with the reactionary yangban cronies down andong way. . .
ddongae -
The bill is concerned with the “betterment” of North Korean lives in the following ways:
1) Greater inspection of the distribution of humanitarian aid to NK citizens. The regime diverts food to the army, quite openly under their “seongun” policy.
2) It pushes for the establishment of refugee camps for the fleeing victims of the NK regime.
3) It allows NK refugees to apply for asylum in the US… South Korea doesn’t want its “ethnic brothers” coming over in large numbers remember? That might hurt the economy! *gasp*
Do you agree with North Korean refugees getting the chance to come to the US or do you prefer them living in mortal fear of deportation in Manchuria?
Hey Ddongae,
Frankly, I’d avoid the personal attacks (i.e., “put down the pipe”). This is especially so given one possible translation of your name.
Second, have you even read the bill? The bill authorizes up to 100,000,000 dollars _each year_ to the World Food Program and US NGOs for humanitarian assistance. That’s a substantial expenditure of money, and it’s not unreasonable to expect accountability, especially in light of 1) the UN’s administration of the Oil-for-Food program, and 2) North Korea’s active hostility to the United States.
Third, the bill makes it a _lot_ easier for North Koreans to claim asylum in the United States.
Fourth, your claims of anti-Korean bias are pretty hard to swallow, since the Marmot lives and works in Korea.
Finally, how is this bill an “hegemonic extension of power”? That seems even more of a bogus assumption, what with, you know, the lack of any proof on your part.
Some substantial possibilities based on this bill -
That North Koreans defecting in China may be inspired to seek US embassies/consulates, seeing as the South Korean ones aren’t so accomodating;
That instead of a “tidal wave” of defectors to South Korea, we may see the same in the direction of the US.
despite the protestations of good intentions, lets look at this piece of legislatin for what it is… a big, wet raspberry blown at the kim regime. and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as a person has the intellectual honesty to admit it and not waste time defending it or attacking it. however, one section of it goes beyond the good fun of tweaking kim’s nose and borders on absurdity, and that is aiding north korean refugees to settle in the u.s. i mean talk about politicians needing to put down the crack pipe. these refugees can’t even adapt to south korean society, it is base stupidity to assume that they could somehow adapt, successfully, to american society. i assume these ideologues in washington can’t find enough fucked up, dysfunctional people at home so they have to go looking for more.
This legislation is decades too late to be taken at face value, and many of us bear blame for this. The trouble with talking about “improving human rights” in North Korea is that that really implies regime change, because there is no way on earth the current ruling clique can ease repression and survive. I was on a major South Korean campus and in the streets as an observer in 1987. However, my awe for the South Korean “progressives” has faded considerably in the face of their knee-jerk anti-Americanism and near total silence — even moral cowardice — on North Korea. It appears that “ethnic solidarity” trumps higher principles. Ddongae might be right about Western progressives, but only in that they still march with the South Korean in not being notably outspoken about the North Korean situation. (Correct me if I’m wrong here — and I fervently hope I AM wrong about the U.S. left) One big reason North Koreans have trouble adjusting in the South is because they are treated by this society as inconvenient reminders of how little the South is doing to help them. Imagine surviving death camps and hunger in North Korea, exploitation in China, a perilous trek through Burma and then getting here and finding Kim Jong-il thought percolating through the Hankyoreh or reading people like Professor Cheong holding forth on “human rights”!
Angus,
True, this is a thumbing at the Kim (and, arguably, Roh) regime, but that’s a different assertion than saying the bill is a “hegemonic extension of power.”
As far as the asylum issue goes, the United States is required to conform to the UN Convention and Protocol relating to refugees. See the UN Handbook at http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/te.....pendoc.pdf, which is referred to by US courts as an appropriate authority. Refugee status does not depend on economic status, and a country (under Article 32) cannot expel a refugee except on grounds of national security or public order. See http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/o_c_ref.htm. So the United States, IMO require economic adaptability as a prerequisite to asylum without being in violation of its obligations under the 1951 Convention.
From my (admittedly quick) reading of the House bill, the bill grants preference to North Koreans as far as asylum procedures go. The North Korean still has to show that he is a “refugee,” as defined under the UN Convention, and in the US, under 8 USC 1101(42), at http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/1101.html.
What more did you expect?
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