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Washington, D.C. — House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) joined the Korean Church Coalition’s annual rally for North Korean freedom.  Today’s rally comes just a week after the State Department released, “Report on Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship in North Korea,” which was mandated by Chairman Royce’s North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016.  Key excerpts from Chairman Royce’s remarks are below.

“…we know that for ordinary North Koreans there is no right to freedom of religion, [to] assemble, to petition their government.  But what is so horrendous, is what happens to the 120,000 who have been arrested and put in these work camps, sometimes for three generations.  The back-breaking work, the way they are beaten if they so much as smile…”

“…we put sanctions against the regime, but more importantly, we personally put those sanctions against Kim Jung Un and those sanctions against those in his inner circle to ostracize them.  Today we are broadcasting into North Korea and using the internet to tell people about the human rights abuses, to give them the truth, the facts about what’s happening in North Korea.”

“As we continue our efforts, I would just close by saying all of you have done the most responsible of things by having your voice speak out on behalf of the voiceless.  Thank you for what you do to protect religious freedom…”

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NOTE: Learn more about Chairman Royce’s North Korea legislation HERE.

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