Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (HAC) speaks out against coercive conversion
Following
the death of Ms. Gu, who was asphyxiated to death in her attempt to escape her
parents and coercive conversion pastors on 9th January 2018, a 120,000-strong
rally and campaign took place in Seoul, Korea, triggering a wave of similar protests in
23 cities in 15 countries. One such rally was held by HAC in Melbourne,
Australia, as supporters gathered in protest for a ban on coercive conversion programmes
and enforcement of legal punishment for coercive conversion pastors, who belong
predominantly to the Christian Council of Korea (CCK).
The
following are the words spoken by the HAC presider at this rally
(video link provided below):
“Forced conversion is a clear violation of
universal rights for the freedom of religion. These programmes are held by
forced conversion pastors who use violence to make people change their
religious beliefs. They kidnap, confine and subject victims to violence to try
to force them to give up their beliefs. This is wrong. The freedom of religion is a
basic human right, and the right of every individual should be protected and
their choice respected. It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are. Discrimination
on grounds of one’s belief is bad enough, but being forced to convert by being
physically beaten, bloodied, bruised and stripped of one's dignity is so foul. Enough
is enough. Together, with one heart, we must expose these pastors for what they
are doing." He concluded, "We want to stop anyone else from being hurt by these wolves in sheep’s
clothing. Together, let’s let the world know of their evil acts.”
20,796 people have now commemorated Ms. Gu's death on a commemorative
website set up in her memory since her death (weblink provided below). It contains a letter
that Ms. Gu had written to the then president of South Korea after her initial escape
from a Catholic monastery in July 2016 where she had been held captive for a period of 44 days receiving forced conversion education by these pastors.
Within this letter, she pled for a ban to the practice and punishment for these
pastors. Her plea was ignored.
Although 33 media worldwide have now published Ms. Gu’s death, more publicity needs to be made. Since her death, there have been 137 confirmed victims of coercive conversion this year. This practice goes far beyond violation of one’s “religious freedoms”. In the words of one such victim, “I lived my daily life bound with handcuffs on. I even needed to urinate and defecate in front of my father watching me. It was very shameful.” Today, human rights are violated behind the guise of religion in the supposedly democratic and constitutional South Korea.
Please help spread news of this practice to prevent anyone else falling victim to such injustice. Thank you.
Human Rights Association for Victims of
Coercive Conversion Programs (HAC) official English website
HAC rally in Melbourne, Australia
"Coercive
Conversion Programmes" (The Enquirer)
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