Speech #1090128304

We do not know how many. but the estimates have been as many as 100.000 to 300.000. They are now living off the land there in an illegal status. in great difficulty. and in harms way in China. If we get these refugees coming into the United States. they will be the first refugees coming into the United States. It is built on the North Korean Human Rights Act. which this Senate and this Nation passed a year and a half ago. allowing these refugees from North Korea to enter into the United States. The act basically builds on what took place toward the Soviet Union before it had collapsed where we were in negotiations on nuclear talks. we were not getting anywhere. and we raised human rights issues of what took place regarding two Soviet dissidents in the Soviet Union. We said it was not fair how they are treating their own people. The same thing is happening in North Korea in how North Korea is treating their own people. to the point this oppressive regime of Kim John is trying to build weapons of mass destruction. they are a weapon of mass destruction on their own people. killing. as I noted. we believe around 2 million North Koreans through starvation. This is abhorrent. If the refugees do come to the United States. this is a moment of celebration. even though it is only a few. It is a statement by this country that we will not tolerate the mistreatment of people taking place in North Korea. I applaud this effort. I applaud the administration for working on this particular topic. and particularly Jay Lefkowitz. the special envoy from the administration on human rights in North Korea. If reports this morning from Reuters and the Associated Press as well as various other news outlets prove to be accurate. we may shortly have a group of North Korean refugees formally accepted by the United States for the first time since the Korean peninsula was divided by war over half a century ago. I hope and pray that these reports are true. and I hope that the six to eight refugees referred to in the articles will soon have a chance to be welcomed by the thousands of Americans who have worked so hard for their freedom. especially by those of Korean heritage. A year and a half ago. Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the North Korean Human Rights Act.