Freedom of expression limited

Report on human rights to be submitted to UN

By Kim Tae-jong

A special envoy from the United Nations has expressed his concern over South Koreans' diminished right to freedom of opinion and expression, urging the government to fully guarantee the rights of all individuals to express diverse opinions.

In the report, which will be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2011, UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue said human rights have been severely restricted since 2008 when President Lee Myung-bak took office.

“Since the candlelit demonstrations of 2008, there have been increased restrictions on individuals’ right to freedom of opinion and expression,” the envoy said in the report.

He said there had been an increasing number of prosecutions to suppress individuals who express views that are not in agreement with the position of the government, based on laws that were often not in conformity with international standards.

During the 2008 candlelit protest by tens of thousands of citizens opposed to the resumption of U.S beef imports over concerns about mad cow disease, the Lee administration cracked down on protestors, characterizing it as a broad anti-government movement.

The report is a result of the envoy inspecting the freedom of opinion and expression conditions for 12 days last year. His urging the government to improve the situation is the strongest of its kind since 1995 when UN envoy Abid Hussaina called for guarantees of freedom of expression, the abolition of the National Security Law and the release of political prisoners.

In the 29-page report, La Rue also outlined key categories the government needs to address — defamation laws, freedom of expression on the Internet, freedom of expression before elections, freedom of protest, the right to freedom of opinion and expression of public servants, independence of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

He emphasized that addressing these issues properly “would further consolidate the democratic foundations” of the nation.

La Rue urged the government to “remove defamation as an offense under its Criminal Code and to promote a culture of tolerance regarding criticism, particularly of public officials and bodies and other influential figures.”

The draft report is currently being reviewed by 10 government organizations including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Human Rights Commission before finalization for submission to the U.N. Human Rights Council in June.

For the report, the envoy stayed in Seoul last year but he complained he got the cold shoulder from the Korean government, and a lack of cooperation from agencies here hampered his mission. He was even allegedly followed by agents from the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Officials from rights advocate civic groups expressed hope that the UN report will spur the government to take steps to relax all rules that restrict freedom of expression.

“Although the report has no binding force, it will surely have an influence on policy-making procedures of related government agencies,” said Park Kyung-sin, head of the Public Law Center at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. “As a member of the global community, Korea cannot completely ignore the recommendations of the international organization.”