N. Korea rights act passes

The North Korean Human Rights Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush Oct. 18 after months of lobbying by four IU student groups. The bill enables North Koreans to stay in the United States as refugees and includes a humanitarian aid package, as well as the appointment of a special envoy for North Korean human rights.\n"Until this bill was passed, (human rights in North Korea) were largely ignored," said graduate student Daniel Levin, founder of IU Students for North Korean Human Rights. "If you do a Google search, there are more than 30 stories on it today alone."\nThe ad hoc group, which was started over the summer, requested the help of IU College Democrats, IU College Republicans and Students for Global Democracy in a letter-writing campaign. \nThe groups wrote to Indiana senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar to push for the bill, which passed both houses of Congress unanimously.\n"One of the prime movers in North Korean human rights is Senator Evan Bayh," Levin said. \nThe act will provide a minimum of $24 million per year in humanitarian aid during the next three years, with money going toward human rights programs and the introduction of radio broadcasts into North Korea.\n"They have a very pervasive propaganda machine," Levin said. "What radio broadcasting will do is stop the monopoly over information."\nPreviously, North Koreans who left their country would become South Koreans by law. Under the new bill, North Korean defectors can claim refugee or political asylum status in the United States. \n"They've (controlled) these people, now, for generations," Levin said.\nHe added that the act would call for negotiations with foreign governments to help in the effort, which is a change in policy for the United States.\nSenior Mandy Carmichael, president of IU College Democrats, said she was proud of the outcome and is optimistic about the impact the act will have.\n"It's very difficult to say what the result will be," she said. "I think it's too soon to say, but I'm optimistic about this bill's ability to improve relations."\nLevin contacted IU College Democrats about signing a petition and getting involved in a letter-writing campaign along with the IU College Republicans, Carmichael said. \n"He asked that the IU College Democrats and College Republicans sign the petition so that it was a bipartisan effort," she said. \n"I think human rights have been a very important issue for Democrats ... I'm not saying that it hasn't for Republicans," she said, "(but) the Democratic Party has a history of fighting for human rights issues."\nFormer IU College Republicans Chairman and senior Angel Rivera said human rights were a "big concern" for him as an American because he enjoys basic rights that people in other nations are often denied.\n"I thought (it) was very appropriate for our group," Rivera said. "It shows (North Korea) and the world that (North Korean human rights are) a priority in U.S. foreign policy." \nAlthough the passage of the bill ensures U.S. support for human rights programs in North Korea, making sure food and financial aid reaches those who are suffering could be difficult.\n"They could very well feed their own people, but they feed the military first," Levin said.\nThe required height for admittance into the North Korean military is currently 4 feet 10 inches, he said. \nLevin added that the efficient distribution of aid was something that they would watch for.\n"No package will be perfect," he said.\nRivera said the passage of the bill was an improvement over the previous negligence of both U.S. and North Korean governments to address the issue.\n"(The North Korean government doesn't) want to provide human rights for their people," Rivera said. "It's an improvement no matter how minor ... $4 million dollars goes a long way in a poor country." \nCarmichael was hopeful as well and added that the signing of the act "sent a message."\n"We can't pass a bill and expect it to work perfectly, but I hope it will change things," Carmichael said. "It sends a powerful message (to North Korea) that the (United States) will not tolerate this kind of behavior."\nLevin said it was easy for people to complain about the political system and not make an effort to change it but that change was possible.\n"When you show you're serious about an issue, (politicians) do take you seriously," he said.\n-- Contact staff writer Obaid Khawaja at okhawaja@indiana.edu.