US panel releases chilling report of North Korean religious persecutions
Wed Nov 16,12:23 AM ET

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - The United States government released chilling interviews with North Korean refugees who witnessed bloody executions of religious believers, to highlight suppression of religious freedom in the hardline communist state.

Young children were assembled to witness the punishment, according to the interviews contained in a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Another refugee related an incident in which two people were shot dead by the North Korean authorities because they were caught with Bibles, said the commission, an independent government agency that monitors freedom of religion abroad and gives recommendations to the US president.

One of the 40 North Korean refugees interviewed -- none of whom were identified to protect their safety -- said "I saw an old man and his daughter executed because the daughter had dropped a Bible while washing clothes."

"Seven police (personnel) fired three shots each into the two victims, who had been tied to stakes a few meters from the 'trial' area," the report quoted a refugee as saying. The rest


Religious Freedom: A Critical Right for All
November 16, 2005
Janet Parshall

The State Department has just released their annual report on religious freedom around the world and it identifies eight countries where particularly severe abuses are practiced: Burma, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Vietnam and China. In China, an underground church leader was just sentenced to three years in prison for distributing Bibles. When President Bush visits China later this month, he’ll continue to talk about the importance of promoting human rights and human dignity for all.

Before her visit to Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Rice has authorized a 180-day waiver of action against that country in order to facilitate discussions on important religious freedom issues.
This annual report, mandated by Congress in 1998, is critical for two reasons: First, those nations trampling on religious liberties need to be held accountable; and secondly, it reminds us to never take our own freedom to worship for granted. Commentary