Peace group collects signatures on Internet to stop violations of Korean residents' human rights

Members of a peace group in Nagano Prefecture in central Japan engaged a signature-collection campaign on the Internet to prevent human rights violations against Korean residents in Japan.

The group, called "Peace Net from Shinshu," has been organizing peace activities in Nagano Prefecture since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Since North Korea officially admitted last September that it had abducted Japanese citizens, Korean schools in Japan have received many threatening phone calls and e-mails, and Korean students and children have frequently come under violent attacks.

Pointing out that such acts are obviously in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the campaign demands that Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro actively call for the elimination of human rights violations against Korean residents and their children.

It also calls on the government to investigate human rights violations and publish the results to help control such vicious acts. The website address of the Peace Net from Shinshu" is http://wwwl.ocn.ne.jp/~mourima (Japanese only). (end)