Coercive Conversion defies Freedom of Religion

By Marilie Bomediano
Photos by HWPL HQ
July 22, 2018


KOREA: Ms. Hye Jeong Lim from South Korea was recently interviewed by France Inter, a major French public radio channel and part of Radio France, a "generalist" station on the issue of ‘Coercive Conversion Questions the Meaning of Religion’





They released her testimony as a Korean national who was violated of her basic human rights: Freedom of Religion and Right to Conversion. This writer, a Filipino-Australian presenter-writer from Radio Rizal 100.9 FM 2BACR reiterates the UNHR basic rights:

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Art 18: 1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice , and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching 2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

- Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (United Nations Human Rights)

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Below this testimony are the responses of Dr.Upasaka E. Anban, Director of Tapitaka Tamil Foundation in India and Carlos Villán Durán , president of the SPANISH ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS (AEDIDH)

Focused on Ms. Hye Jeong Lim’s testimony from South Korea:

 “I lost my family and my life has changed since the day.”

 “My grandma and uncle were there. I was kidnapped and confined to a place. I walked out of the house window and went over the wall barefoot. I lost my family and my life has changed since the day.” told Ms. Hye Jeong Lim from South Korea at her interview with France Inter, French national general public radio station of the Radio France group.

 “My mother asked me to have lunch together, so I met her. All of sudden, three strong men came out of a car, grabbed my hair, and forced me to get into the car. I reported to the police about the (Christian) pastors who manipulated all of this behind my mother. But the response was that religious issues have to be solved at home,” said Ms. Lim.

According to a Korea-based organization named Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (HAC), coercive conversion refers to forcing someone who has a different religious background from others in a community, family, or society to change his or her religion by using illegal means of violence.



HAC stated that the number of victims who experienced coercive conversion has reached 1,200 in South Korea, accompanied with violation of human rights coming from assaults, forced hospitalization to psychiatric hospitals and death.

In South Korea, which guarantees freedom of religion as the constitutional law, it is argued that the backbone of such illegal actions lies behind a Christian association, one of the mainstream religions in Korea. In the case of Christian Council of Korea (CCK), an organization of Christian churches, it founded the “Heresy Research Center” to run the forced conversion programs in the name of “counseling”.

It is also stated by the HAC that religious suppression and human rights violations against denominations that do not belong to the CCK have been underway. It is revealed from the beginning of this year that the death of a woman in her twenties died after the coercive conversion, leading to protests by citizens in 70 countries around the world demanding legal protection from such religious violence.

Dr. Upasaka E. Anban, Director of Tapitaka Tamil Foundation in India, said, “The forced conversion committed by the CCK is an anti-human crime that can never be tolerated by the international community as well.” Steven Acosta, an American human rights activist, stated, "Coercive Conversion Programs and the organizations responsible must be shut down and held accountably. These protests are blowing the winds of justice." 

While the advance of “peace” attracts attention from the globe, the voice advocating changes to root out human rights violation has been increased. HAC told that “the petition for the abolition of coercive conversion has been signed by 140,000 people on a government website but it disappeared without explanations. The South Korean Government is responsible for the investigation of and making efforts to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”

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“There is a saying ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ Religious leaders should steel themselves to make this world a better place to live. To end wars and establish peace in our globe, everyone is required to be a messenger of peace.”

– Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL.

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I must reiterate the recognition as a human right Article 18 of the universal declaration of HR declares the freedom of religion in the following terms: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practicing, worship and observance.

Article 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ensures the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

It reads: Art 18:

1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his own choice and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.

2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

3. Freedom to manifest ones religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedom of others.

4. The States parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

This writer has interviewed Carlos Villán Durán, president of SPANISH ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS (AEDIDH) during the 2nd World Alliance of Religion for Peace (WARP) Summit 2016 who willfully explained the DPCW’s answer towards coercive religious conversion:

 

 “The Declaration on Peace and Cessation of War, shall be proposed by a State or an international organization to the ILC for the following reasons:

 “Firstly, it addresses mainly the inter-States relationship (Articles 1-7) and general principles of public international law, while human rights issues are referred to in the Preamble and Articles 8-9 (Freedom of Religion) suggested by HWPL Chairman Man Hee Lee.



Secondly, it is focused on the negative dimension of peace as absence of war, a matter of particular relevance to inter-States relationship. From a holistic perspective, the positive dimension of peace should also address the structural violence (produced by economic and social inequalities in the international community and within our societies) as well as religious, cultural violence (i.e.gender violence, violence against children and elder persons, mobbing, bullying).

This positive dimension of peace is more related to the field of international human rights law and to culture of peace.

Thirdly, the DPCW was drafted like a declaration or a program of action to encourage States to advance peace as absence of war in their relations. To become a legally binding instrument (treaty), the Declaration must be reviewed by an international expert body in close consultations with both civil society organizations and governments. This is the role of the ILC.



The DPCW will be well received by developing States of all regions of the world, provided that the Declaration is mainly a restatement of well established principles in the UN Charter and GA resolution 2625 (XXV) of 1970, such as the prohibition of the threat or use of force; the right of peoples to self-determination; the territorial integrity and political independence of any State; the peaceful settlement of States’ disputes, including the judicial settlement by the International Court of Justice; or the right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

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To participate in a campaign to END WAR:

www.peacelaw.org

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HWPL Chairman Man Hee Lee's DPCW advocacy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jLMJs90xeg