島田洋一ブログ (Shimada Yoichi Blog)

前エントリで取り上げた、中国政府の脱北者強制送還に関し、米議会が3月1日に緊急公聴会を開く。横田早紀江さんの米下院証言の際共同議長を務めたクリストファー・スミス議員が、今回も共同議長の一人である。

　証言者のスザンヌ・ショルティ、ロバータ・コーエンらは、日本人拉致問題でも積極的に動いてきた人々だ。公聴会は、インターネットでもライブ中継されるという。

　日本の国会議員も声を上げるべきときだろう。「人権擁護法案」を推進してきた左翼リベラル系の連中など、一体どこで何をしているのか。福島“現実を”みずほや辻元清美、加藤紘一らはなぜ黙っているのか。

下記は、英語版の公聴会告知。

　昨年7月、拉致議連・家族会・救う会訪米団とアメリカ北朝鮮人権委員会幹部との夕食懇談会にて。やや不鮮明だが、右端がロバータ・コーエン、右から4人目がスザンヌ・ショルティ。チャック・ダウンズ（右から二人目）の正面辺りに、平沼赳夫拉致議連会長や、松原仁・現拉致担当相らが座っていた。

Representative Christopher Smith, Chairman and Senator Sherrod Brown, Cochairman

of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China announce a hearing on

"China's Repatriation of North Korean Refugees"

Thursday, March 1, 2012

2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

2118 RayburnHouseOfficeBuilding

In recent weeks, international human rights advocates and organizations have called on the Chinese government not to repatriate dozens of North Korean refugees currently detained in China. There is now growing concern that the refugees and their family members may face public execution if the refugees are forcibly returned to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). In January, Kim Jong-un, the "supreme leader" of North Korea, reportedly threatened to "exterminate three generations" of any family with a member caught defecting from North Korea during the 100-day mourning period for the late Kim Jong-il. Despite its obligations under international law, the Chinese government maintains an agreement with North Korea to repatriate North Korean refugees.

The Commission hearing will address the current predicament of North Korean refugees who have been detained by Chinese authorities in recent weeks. Witnesses will discuss the factors driving North Koreans to flee to China. Witnesses will also address the legality of China's forced repatriations of North Koreans and relevant humanitarian concerns.

The hearing was webcast live.

Witnesses:

Suzanne Scholte, President, Defense Forum Foundation; Chairman and Founding Member of the North Korea Freedom Coalition

Songhwa Han, Former North Korean refugee detained in China, repatriated to North Korea, and detained in North Korea

Jinhye Jo, Former North Korean refugee detained in China, repatriated to North Korea, and detained in North Korea

Roberta Cohen, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution; Chair of the Board of Directors, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea