Released on = November 25, 2005, 2:14 pm

Press Release Author = Old Catholic Church of Great Britain

Industry = Government

Press Release Summary = "Doing Hard Time for God!" campaign to raise awareness of
global religious persecution has called for the European Union and United Nations to
seek a formal resolution for the continuing poor human rights record of North Korea.


Press Release Body = "Doing Hard Time for God!" campaign to raise awareness of
global religious persecution has called for the European Union and United Nations to
seek a formal resolution for the continuing poor human rights record of North Korea.
Archbishop Gary Beaver of the Old Catholic Church of Great Britain has made an
official petition to both the European Union and U.N. to address the restrictions of
religious freedom and human rights abuses in North Korea. The Archbishop has also
passed a request to the North Korean Government asking for their cooperation in
ensuring that Christian humanitarian organisations will be permitted full and safe
access to all parts of the country to distribute aid. Humanitarian organisations and all non-governmental European aid groups have been ordered to leave North Korea by the 31st December after the recent EU sponsored UN resolution expressed \"serious concern at continuing reports of systemic, widespread and grave violations of human rights, including torture, public executions, the existence of a large number of prison camps and the extensive use of forced labour.\"

"We just cannot ignore these problems. These problems can only be addressed through
bipartisan and multi-religious cooperation" said Archbishop Gary Beaver.

The Archbishop's "Doing Hard Time for God!" project has identified the following:
(1) Darfur, the region of Western Sudan where approximately 400,000 have died and
about 2.5 million have been displaced in the last three years during armed conflict
with the government-sponsored militia; (2) North Korea, where the communist regime
is responsible for the widespread repression of human rights; (3) Burma, ruled over
by a military junta that is responsible for religious persecution and other human
rights violations; (4) the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is estimated
that more than 30,000 people die each month and 2.2 million are displaced, and (5)
Northern Uganda, where the Resistance Army has abducted an estimated 21,000 children and turned them into soldiers.

The Old Catholic Church are calling for all religious leaders of all faiths to
assist by entering into serious dialogue seeking deeper understanding.


Web Site = http://www.oldcatholic.co.uk

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