Refugees who confess to religious belief or who are suspected of spreading Christianity are viewed as having come against the fragile government of North Korea. Pretty incredible. But true. They are subject to harsh penalties, the harshest available, including hard labor and lengthy imprisonment. These facts are quoted directly from A Prison Without Bars. I have spent several days to bring you excerpts from this serious work, a compilation of recent interviews that prove the North Korean situation has little changed if any. I encourage you one last time to "Google" this entire work online, and download it free!
Here are the actual words of interviewees on today's topic. Each paragraph is from a separate interview.
"...The fact that a person keeps a Bible means that this person plans to believe in a religion in the future...The most severe punishment is applied to those who are engaged in new religious activity [as opposed to those who have Christianity in their family history]: those who carry the Bible from China and those Christians who help North Korean refugees in China... When they [officials ] mention a religion, it is mainly Protestantism rather than Catholicism or Buddhism. I went to a fortune teller many times... North Koreans consider Buddhism as [superstition] different from religion... The target of the search is Protestantism... Protestantism... is related to the United States... and is considered spying... Spies are executed..."
"Protestant religious organizations are considered political offenders and traitors attempting to overthrow the government... If we [guards] find Buddhist [believers], they...do [only] forced labor for about six months. We just consider this a superstition... Buddhist monks are actually members of the party..."
"Christians are regarded as spies. If you meet a Christian, it is considered the same as meeting a South Korean intelligence officer. Spies and Christians... are treated equally. Most people who are Christians or who met Christians are sent to Yodok to serve sentences of between four years and life. People who spread Protestantism - instead of just believing - are sentenced to life sentences."
"Many refugees carry the Bible with them back to North Korea because they would do anything for the money. If caught they are sent to [prison]. The authorities have rarely executed political offenders lately because human rights in North Korea became an issue worldwide... but now they are sent to inland mountain areas where living is difficult."
"Everything except Christianity is fine. When a person is caught carrying a Bible, he will be punished because he has brought an external influence to North Korea. A person caught carrying the Bible is doomed... and his whole family may disappear."
"Buddhists tend to keep their religion to themselves, but Christianity spreads fast... Christians don't pray alone, but try to get together in numbers and also they spread fast. Kim Jong Il is more afraid of his own people than the United States. The great god of North Korea is Kim Jong Il and if that changes to a real god, it can stir up people."
There you have it. The lie abounds. The Truth suppressed. We are praying for a turnaround of that. Let us meanwhile be sure that the Truth abounds in our own life, in the midst of the corruption that inundates this nation. May God have mercy on all His people that call upon Him with the whole heart, wherever they live.
Older
Top
