hankyoreh

By Park Byong-su, staff reporter

A committee supporting North Korean human rights activist Kim Young-hwan is considering an international complaint against Chinese authorities over alleged torture.

The Committee for the Release of Kim Young-hwan issued a statement on July 29 saying revelations about the torture of Kim, 49, made discussions by a United Nations organization “unavoidable.”

“Unless the Chinese government takes sincere action and issues an apology, we will have no choice but to make a complaint about Kim’s torture to international organizations and human rights groups,” the committee said.

The committee also said it may file a civil suit based on discussions with the victims.

“This is our way of saying that we will do everything in our power if China continues showing the same insincere approach,” a member of the committee explained, adding that the committee would not rule out going before the International Criminal Court (ICC) or taking the case to court in China.

The member added that petitions on Kim’s detention were sent in May to the United Nations Working Group of Arbitrary Detention and special rapporteur on torture.

“We are considering raising the issue again with addition details about the torture,” the official said.

The statement called for Beijing to take swift action to resolve the matter. “We do not want this to escalate in diplomatic frictions between South Korea and China or for China to find itself a pariah in the international community,” it said.

It also demanded clear and responsible action from the South Korean government, saying, “A government that adopts a noncommittal stance on the grievous violation of one of its citizens’ human rights has no reason for being.”

Democratic United Party spokesman Jung Sung-ho also called for action from the Blue House and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at a briefing Sunday, demanding that they conduct an immediate investigation and punish those responsible for condoning any acts of brutality, while taking stern action against China.

Jung added that Beijing needed to “behave responsibility” if allegations of torture by electrical shock are verified.

It was also reported that one member of Kim’s party evaded arrest at the time of the March detention and rushed to a South Korean diplomatic office, but had their passport confiscated by Chinese authorities and was unable to return home.

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