[asia-apec 389] Arrest of a Buddhist Monk
YoonKyong Lee
pspd at soback.kornet.nm.kr
Fri Apr 4 15:25:58 JST 1997
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN S. KOREA
ARREST OF A BUDDHIST MONK
Principle Facts of the Arrest and the Trial of the
Venerable Jin Kwan (Legal name, Yong Mo Park) a Buddhist
monk of South Korea
Arrest: October 1, 1996
Trial: March 21, 1997 first trial. April 4, second trial
Charges: "suspicion of espionage" "meeting and
communicating with a North Korean"
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Human Rights Issues: 1. Political imprisonment: this
Buddhist monk met with a North Korean in Beijing and
talked about the desires of long-term pro-Communist
prisoners, and about possible cooperation among
Buddhists in South and North Korea. For these acts he
is being charged with crimes of espionage! He is being
persecuted because of the South Korean government's
policy of maintaining a monopoly on efforts toward
unification. At the preliminary trial he testified that
members of the National Security Agency beat him and
held him sleepless during their interrogations. He has
been held prisoner all these months even though he is a
well known public figure, a member of the Buddhist
Central Committee. There is strong reason to believe
that the espionage charges are politically motivated.
2. The human rights of long-term
pro-North Korean prisoners in S. Korea. Long-term
pro-communist prisoners who have refused to change their
ideology want to be returned to N. Korea but are being
refused.
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Background of the case
The charges all stem from Jin Kwan's
relationship with Kang Byong Yun, a resident of Canada,
whom he has known since 1991, when they met at the
Pomminjok ('Whole Nation') Convention of that year.
Kang has been engaged in Korean unification activities
in Canada and the U.S., and has been pro-North Korea in
his stance. The charges against Kang Byong Yun, Jin
Kwan, and a few others were prepared by the National
Security Agency of South Korea and turned over to the
prosecutors in the case.
Account given by Jin Kwan himself
On September 11, 1995 Jin Kwan received an invitation
from Kang Byong Yun to visit Canada. After meeting in
Canada Jin Kwan accompanied Kang to Beijing on a
vacation trip. Also, Jin Kwan believed he could meet
Park Tae Ho of the N. Korean Buddhist Federation.
However, in Beijing Kang took him to the N. Korean
embassy, without giving advance notice of their
destination. Jin Kwan did not enter the embassy, but
later met with a North Korean at a different location
and discussed with that person the possibility of the
return to N. Korea of some long-term pro-North prisoners
of S. Korea, and also suggested the possibility of S.
Korea-N. Korea cooperation in celibrating the 1996 feast
of Buddha's Birthday. He received no clear response to
these suggestions. There was certainly no conversation
which could be construed as "state secrets" or "national
security".
Strange aspects of the case
Kang is a very outspoken person, not at all secretive
about his visits to N. Korea. He does not hold an
important position among pro-North Korean residents of
Toronto. He is therefore not suited to play the role of
an undercover agent for N. Korea. This weakens the
basis for making this case one of espionage.
Kang phoned Jin Kwan in September, 1996 and said he
would be at Kimpo airport (the international airport of
Seoul) on Sept. 14. Jin Kwan met him there. There was
no other exchange except that Kang said he was going to
N., Korea and would return on Sept. 24th. According to
the National Security Agency, they arrested Kang on Sept
24th. There is some suspicion that he may have gone to
the National Security Agency on his own.
Reactions to Jin Kwan's arrest
Five hundred Buddhist monks of S. Korea have signed a
petition (Nov. 15, 1996) demanding his release. Amnesty
International, Catholic Human Rights Committee of Korea,
and oths arrest to S.
Korean authorities, or have released public statements
of protest.
Results witnesses implies that he intends to build a case of
espionage against Jin Kwan.
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