Mr. Speaker, I will present a number of petitions today.
The first petition draws the attention of the House to the worsening situation of human rights in North Korea, as documented by various commissions. These violations of human rights include prioritization of food distribution to those considered useful to the survival of the current political system; a vast security apparatus that suppresses dissent through surveillance, coercion, fear and punishment; public executions; putting citizens in political prison camps; terrorizing the population; and the state-sponsored abduction of citizens of other nations.
The petitioners are also concerned about how the People's Republic of China has disregarded or ignored recommendations from the UN commission of inquiry regarding North Korean defectors and other issues. They have concerns about refugees from North Korea being sent back to North Korea by the Government of China despite the human rights abuses those defectors will certainly face.
The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to take the following steps in response to this worsening human rights situation. They want the government to table regular reports in Parliament on these issues, including highlighting concerns about political prison camps, Camp Kwan-li-so and Kyo-hwa-so. They want the Government of Canada to also report on the situation of North Korean defectors and Canadian policy toward North Korean defectors. They want the Government of Canada to engage actively with international organizations and foreign governments to press the Government of China to allow the safe passage of North Korean refugees to South Korea, where they are recognized as citizens, and to establish initiatives to support the promotion of human rights in North Korea and aid defectors.
Measures proposed include monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation and addressing the challenges facing North Korean defectors in China and other regions, developing strategies for Canada to assist in protecting North Korean citizens from crimes against humanity and supporting their human rights and freedoms, supporting international efforts to safeguard the people of North Korea from crimes against humanity and supporting political freedoms, including through dialogue with relevant organizations and governments.
I thank, in particular, the Korean community for bringing this petition to the House through their hard work, solidarity and concern for those suffering right now in North Korea.