SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) -- A human rights organization condemns reports of ongoing violations of religious freedom in communist North Korea following last month’s public execution of one Christian woman.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported in a news release that Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was publicly executed on June 16 for allegedly distributing the Bible, and also for charges of spying for South Korea and the United States. That according to reports from the Investigative Committee on Crimes Against Humanity.

CSW said that in accord with the “guilt by association” principles used by the regime, three generations of her close family are believed to have been imprisoned following the execution.

CSW said the organization is calling for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate this evidence.

CSW said that in related news, another Christian woman, Li Mingshun, is now being detained in Inner Mongolia on charges of helping to smuggle 61 North Korean refugees into China. According to CSW Hong Kong, the Chinese-Korean woman could not afford in April to pay a fine of 100,000 Yuan to authorities in Qingdao.

According to CSW, thousands of have people have tried to flee North Korea as a result of the famine and human rights violations. However, despite these issues, those who help refugees are treated very harshly by the regime, as well as many neighboring countries.

Tina Lambert, CSW’s Advocacy Director said in the news release. “It is imperative that the international community respond appropriately to these grave reports, and ensure that the regime is held up to international scrutiny and not rewarded for its often successful attempts to hide these crimes against humanity.”

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, and promotes religious liberty for all.

For further information, go to www.csw.org.uk.
 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com. Reynalds' latest book is "We All Need a Little Help." It was released on October 3 2008. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145.