Koreans debunk U.S. scheme in Brussels

Koreans are passionate about ending the division of their country and preventing it from becoming the scene of another U.S. war. They also are politically sophisticated and understand that reactionary agendas often come cloaked in liberal-sounding words.

Korean Peace Brigade pickets U.S. Embassy in Brussels Photo: Tongil News

So when South Koreans heard that a conference on “North Korean human rights” was being organized in Brussels by the U.S. organization Freedom House, they checked it out. And when they saw on Freedom House’s web site that its work on Korea had received “generous funding from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor,” they decided to act.

Workers World spoke with Yoomi Jeong of the Korea Truth Commission about what happened next.

“We heard that Freedom House was plan ning a conference on ‘North Korean human rights’ in Brussels toward the end of March and that some members of the Euro pean Council were holding a small forum,” she said. “We knew from their previous actions that this was nothing more than demonizing the North Korean government.

“Human rights is a highly politicized issue that the U.S. has been using to undermine national sovereignty and prepare for future attacks on other nations. Look at what the U.S. did to Iraq, using the issues of human rights and weapons of mass destruction.

“In South Korea, when the movement for peace and reunification heard about these events, it decided to organize a special Korean Peace Brigade and asked for volunteers. Over 80 people signed up to go to Brussels at their own expense—students, housewives, farmers, workers, professionals and clergy.

“The brigade organized multiple events, working with progressive Belgian organizations—especially the Workers Party of Bel gium. We held our own international seminar to inform people in Europe about what is behind this ‘North Korean human rights’ scheme and the role of the U.S. government, which is putting $20 million into conferences of this type around the world. We held cultural events and widespread leafleting at rush hours. Our events were cosponsored by the Korea Truth Commis sion and One Korea for Solidarity.”

The Korean Peace Brigade that went to Belgium was joined by South Koreans from the U.S. and Europe. All spoke out on behalf of a reunified Korea. They held meetings with members of the European Parlia ment—which last year had passed a resolution denouncing North Korea, “based, we believe, on distortions and manipulation,” says Jeong.

The Koreans held a demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy, holding up signs saying “No war, no Bush” on one side and on the other “One Korea, by Koreans, for Koreans.” They got “tremendous support” from the people going by, said Jeong, but no one from the embassy would come out to speak to them.

These events were “a tremendous opportunity, especially for young Koreans, to be empowered by their work and by the responses they got from European people,” Jeong says.

If Freedom House is truly concerned about human rights for the Korean people, she says, they should appeal to their government to end its economic sanctions on North Korea and its war exercises simulating an attack on that country—like the “Foal Eagle” exercises going on right now.

“Human rights have to be discussed in the larger context,” Jeong insists, “of achieving peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula. The U.S. still refuses to even discuss a peace treaty, more than 50 years after the Korean War. Instead, it is trying to elevate the human rights issue to a crisis level.

“This correlates directly to inter-Korean cooperation. As the north and south come together, building joint collaboration in the economy and politics, we’ve seen increased attacks on North Korea by the U.S. government.”