The Violation Of Freedom Of Speech In North Korea
Did you realize that 95% North Korean citizens have no access to Wi Fi? You may be asking yourself why they are being “tortured”. The regime blocks them from accessing the internet to keep the negative information about the country inside its borders and away form its people. North Koreans don’t enjoy civil or human rights. They are also denied freedom of speech and press. I will inform you today about this violation of human rights and reveal the harsh punishments for anyone who criticizes or speaks poorly about North Korea. Freedom of speech, one of the most fundamental Human Rights, is vital for any society’s development. This right can positively influence us since it allows for us to communicate with one another and also lets us express our feelings. Non-violent protests can also be used to communicate with the government about a concern. The government might consider our protests and listen to us. Also, being able to effectively communicate our opinions, concerns, and needs means that we can participate meaningfully in society. This allows us to make a difference in our lives. Finally, having the right of freedom of speech gives us access to information that might be invading our privacy. One example is when citizens in the United States discovered that their government was spying via the internet. The government was informed of this outrageous incident through a protest letter and an official email sent by Tim Crooks, Apple CEO, to him and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook. It might seem like there should be some restrictions on freedom speech. It is important to recognize that criticism and debate is an expression of opinion and that we should respect and tolerate others’ opinions. Article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that “Everyone shall be entitled to hold opinions without interference.” This will help us to become better people and improve our society. North Korea is a country that is most closely monitored and punished. Many North Koreans are sent in horrible prison camps. As I have mentioned, the North Korean government is strict with media freedom and censors all media. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone is entitled to express their opinions and give and receive information.” The regime, however, not only denies citizens this fundamental right, but also penalizes them for doing so. If you criticize the regime and its leadership, it can cause your family to disappear and be sent to a political prison camp. North Korea has five prison camps that can hold around 100,000 people. Some prison camps are larger than cities and have been around five times longer than Nazi concentration camps. Locals believe that once you’ve been accused of any crime (political.economical.criminal) and sent into prison camps, your whole family is guilty. Your two remaining generations must also stay in the camp for life. All citizens were asked to remember Kim Jong-Il’s death in December 2011. Those who didn’t express their sadness were fined and sent to prison camps. This inhumane act violates Article 4, which says “No one shall ever be kept in slavery …”..” Is it really your opinion that people and their children should be held in captivity, starved and tortured for small acts of disobedience or mistreatment of the government? Public executions can be used to punish anyone who is not selected for the prison camp. Imagine being handcuffed onto a pole made of wood, with your knees touching the ground. You can hear 150,000 people surrounding you. Your family screaming, crying and 5 gunshots are fired at you. Then you only hear silence. Silence, deep breathing… This horrific punishment was stopped in most countries, including the US and France, approximately 73 years back. This barbaric punishment is still used by North Korea to show its power and terrorize its citizens, despite this fact. After calling South Koreans about North Korean rice prices, a North Korean worker at a factory was publicly executed. Kim Jong Un executed some “criminals”, in schools and fish markets last year, in an twisted attempt at creating an “atmosphere fear”. These acts are in violation of Article 5 that states “No one shall ever be subjected either to torture or to cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment.” Let’s hear your thoughts. Is it possible to allow North Korean public executions, or should you make young kids watch these scary incidents?