A two-year-old in North Korea has been sentenced to life in prison after the toddler’s parents were found with a Bible.
The unnamed tot’s entire family was also jailed under dictator Kim Jong-un’s regime, according to a new International Religious Freedom Report from the US State Department.
Historical Context
And this isn’t the first time religious citizens have been persecuted in the country
In 2011, a Christian woman and her grandchild were executed by firing squad for their beliefs. Others have been subjected to “pigeon torture”, having their hands and legs tied together before being hung from the ceiling for days on end.
“It was the most painful of all tortures. It was so painful that I felt it was better to die.”
More recent victims include:
- A woman who, in 2020, committed suicide in solitary confinement due to sleep deprivation.
- A member of the ruling party who was executed for owning a Bible in front of a 3,000-strong audience.
The Bigger Picture
Approximately 70,000 Christians have been thrown in prison because of their beliefs since Kim Jong-Un took to power, out of a possible 400,000. Despite North Korea’s constitution claiming to guarantee religious freedom, this report argues that the churches in Pyongyang are merely “showpieces for foreigners”.
“A Christian is never safe. Children are encouraged to tell their teachers about any sign of faith in their parents’ home.”
The report also says that many Christians in North Korea hide their religion from their children for their own protection.
Alleged Deceptions
According to a visitor from Illinois, USA, who visited Chilgol Protestant Church in Pyongyang, the congregation was mainly made up of older men and women, with no children or young people present. This suggests a disconnect between the country’s purported religious freedom and its actual practices.
Further Accusations
Other accusations include the state teaching school-aged children that Christian missionaries engage in crimes such as “rape, blood-sucking, organ harvesting, murder, and espionage”. It’s also suggested that practicing shamanism can lead to punishments ranging from six months in a forced labour camp to three or more years in a reeducation facility.
“Although the ideology makes no explicit claim that the leaders are gods, they are described as ‘extraordinary beings’ capable of supernatural feats.”
Conclusion
North Korean citizens are reportedly expected to worship the Kim family and its ideology, Juche, which means national self-reliance. Despite the North Korean constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom, these reports suggest a very different reality.
Sources:
This article is contributed by MandyNews.com.
