JW-media Nearly 1,000 conscientious objectors serving in South Koreas prisons

darth frosty

I cant believ they have THE FRIGGIN NERVE to put this in writing?!? How man brothers went to jail Viet nam instead of doing alternative service AT THE $OCIETIES DIRECTION?!?

http://www.jw-media.org/kor/20110214.htm

For Immediate Release

February 14, 2011

Nearly 1,000 conscientious objectors serving in South Korea’s prisons

Repeated calls for alternative civilian service disregarded

SEOUL, Korea—Currently, there are 903 healthy, responsible men serving prison terms in South Korea. Each would like nothing better than to make a positive contribution to society without participating in war. Since 1950, over 15,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been sentenced to a combined total of 30,604 years of prison time for their conscientious objection to military service.

This situation continues despite past recommendations from both Korea’s Constitutional Court and Korea’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging the government to adopt alternative civilian service, which would allow harmonious existence between conscientious objection and military service. The most recent consideration of this issue by the Constitutional Court on November 11, 2010, addressed whether or not criminal punishment of conscientious objectors for refusing reserve-force training and military service violates their freedom of conscience. The hearing also considered whether Korea’s continuing failure to implement an alternative arrangement for conscientious objectors is a violation of the rights of Korea’s citizens.

"Alternative service is available to baseball players, pianists, ballet dancers and even Baduk players, so the government has proved that it is capable of making this provision available," attorney Du-jin Oh noted in his opening argument to the court. He added, "We are asking for the same rights for conscientious objectors."

Kim Ji-Gwan, a conscientious objector whose story was introduced before the court, had expressed his personal reasons for refusing to participate in military training and war in his trial. He stated: "I was deeply moved by such Bible teachings as ‘people would learn war no more’ and ‘love your neighbors as yourselves.’ I also learned that ‘principled love’ can result in the love of one’s enemies. Therefore, based on these and other scriptures and as a result of my firm personal convictions, I made the decision to refuse military service."

Noting the concern of the representative from the Ministry of Defense, that an alternative to military service would weaken the national defense of the country, attorney Hana Lee, in her closing remarks, directed the court to consider the precedents that have been established in Germany, Greece, and Taiwan: She stated: "All three have successfully implemented an alternative service program that has not threatened the strength of their national defense."

In addition to this recent Constitutional Court hearing in Seoul, there are now 488 cases before the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which has ruled twice that the Republic of South Korea is in violation of its commitments under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Similar rulings condemning South Korea’s treatment of conscientious objectors are expected early in 2011.

Contacts:

In Republic of Korea: Dae il Hong, tel. +82 10 3951 0835

In USA: J. R. Brown, tel. +1 718 560-5600

Last updated 15 February 2011 16:51:36 GMT

Some real food for thought:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nofog/2010/08/21/jehovahs-witnesses--alternative-service

This episode will discuss the Watchtower's teaching on alternative service. As a result, thousands of innocent young men went to prison for no reason. We will discuss the impact this teaching had on its members and how the Watchtower blamed the victims for their suffering. We will show the long history of what is termed "new light" and how the Watchtower uses this as an excuse to make changes to its teachings without being held accountable for the many lives they have destroyed throughout the years.

Gayle

I feel sorry for those young JW men. The GB don't care about them and they will have this record the rest of their lives on into their old age like the ones there have found since 1950, now very very old men, still waiting for the New World.

wobble

My father was a Conscientous Objector in WW2 , a real one, he had decided this for himself, before he ,insanely, joined the JW's because they preached to him when he was doing his stretch.

One of the first guys he met in there was a sweet man who then went on to Gilead, missionary work, and ended his days in Brooklyn Bethel, I think it must have been him who enmeshed the old feller. Bless him.

Father did not think the stance of many JW's was neutral enough, some would take alternative service, which he judged to be still contributing to the war effort.

He passed away in 2000, I wonder what he thought of the WT's present "neutrality" ?

the-illuminator81

If all South Koreans were JWs, there would be one unified Korea under Kim Jong-Il, with all the JWs in being tortured in his concentration camps.

Mattieu

I will never forget when I toured bethel in South Korea, they have a section where they display pictures (in a shrine like way) of the poor Men (brothers) who have died in prison (beatings from other prisoners and mistreatment from prison guards) due to being conscientious objectors. The Borg has blood on their hands.... Makes me feel sick.....

CoonDawg

Huh...I bet my Uncle, who did two years in the federal pen at El Reno, OK would be interested to know that now alternative service is actively being sought as a way for objectors to NOT go to prison. Lots of brothers in the years between WWII and the end of the draft here in the US would have liked to have known that they didn't have to serve prison time and become felons.

jwfacts

I just saw this and I find it amazing how two faced the Watchtower can be.

In order to support their argument they state " Since 1950, over 15,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been sentenced to a combined total of 30,604 years of prison time for their conscientious objection to military service"

What they fail to admit is that many of those people went to prison needlessly, since they had the chance to choose alternative service but were not allowed by old Watchtower doctrine, which changed in 1996.

Watchtower

JW-media Nearly 1,000 conscientious objectors serving in South Koreas prisons