A/HRC/25/CRP.1 meetings.279 Identified Christians are interrogated for longer periods, usually under torture, in an effort to identify other members of underground Christian churches. The SSD also monitors the activities of the Korean churches in China and systematically interrogates persons repatriated from China to identify practising Christians among them. 255. One submission, based on extensive testimonies from Christians clandestinely practising their religion within the DPRK, presented three reasons why Christians are sought by the authorities and seen as political criminals: “(1) [They] do not genuinely worship the leaders, adhere to another ideology and therefore pose a threat to the stability of the society; (2) [They] are considered to be spies of ‘Christian states like South Korea and the United States’; and (3) [They] are held responsible for the end of the communist bloc in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. In Poland, the Roman Catholic Church was a strong opposing force for example. The protests that ended Nicolae Ceauşescu’s regime in Romania were triggered by a Hungarian [Protestant] pastor, Laszlo Tokes, who publicly criticized the government and refused to be evicted from his church-owned apartment.”280 256. The Commission heard from numerous witnesses that those forcibly repatriated from China were systematically interrogated about whether they made contacts with churches and missionaries from the ROK and the USA. Those found to have engaged in such conduct faced harsher punishment upon repatriation including being sent to a political prison camp if they made contact with any foreigners including American or South Korean missionaries.281 The Commission received the following testimony: • One witness explained that she had been specifically questioned following repatriation about whether she had gone to church in China. She was caught again another time when she left the DPRK for China and was tortured and detained for one year to confess that she was a Christian. She was informed that her friend had told the authorities of her belief in Christianity. She refused to confess and was sent to Kyohwaso No. 11.282 • Mr Timothy’s father studied Christianity in an “underground church” in China; and in 2003, he was arrested with 39 other North Korean Christians. They were all repatriated, and his father was sent to Yodok Camp. Because of his father’s arrest, Mr Timothy who was about 14 years of age at the time was also sent to a labour training camp for one year. He nonetheless became a Christian and spent several years secretly propagating Christianity in the DPRK. He knew he had to do this in secret because otherwise he risked being arrested and sent to a political prison camp for his actions. He also spoke of a fellow Christian who had been sentenced to a political prison camp because of his religious belief.283 • Both of Mr A’s sisters were punished severely for their religious belief and activities. One was discovered to be preaching Christianity to a friend and was caught with a Bible resulting in a 13 year sentence in an ordinary prison camp (kyohwaso). The other was caught in China. As a result of the starvation rations and horrendous living conditions, the first sister almost died in prison and only survived after Mr A paid a substantial bribe to free her after three years of confinement. The other sister was labelled a political criminal because it was discovered that she had 279 280 281 282 283 72 USCIRF, “A Prison Without Bars”, March 2008, chapter 5; USCIRF, “2013 Annual Report”, pp. 108-116. Submission to the Commission: SUB048. Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), Seoul Public Hearing, 21 August 2013, afternoon; TAP013. TBG006. Mr Timothy, Seoul Public Hearing, 22 August 2013, afternoon.