A CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ARRESTED IN NORTH KOREA
North Korea has arrested a 75-year-old Australian man working as a Christian missionary in Pyongyang, according to his family.
North Korea is ranked as one of the world’s most oppressive regimes in terms of freedom of religion. A United Nations report issued on Tuesday cited lack of religious freedom in a state whose human rights abuses it likened to those of Nazi Germany.
North Korea was faulted this week in a sharply critical United Nations report for, among other things, its intolerance of religious freedom. The report cited the North’s practice of “extermination,” murder, enslavement, torture, rape and persecution on grounds of race, religion and gender.
The family said in a press release that John Short was on his second trip to North Korea and was in possession of religious materials that had been translated into Korean.
He is the second Christian missionary being held by the North, the other is Kenneth Bae, a South Korean with US citizenship. Karen Short, John’s wife, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday: “It’s a bit traumatic, it’s been 48 hours and my husband is still there. I’m not upset, we’re Christian missionaries and we have tremendous support for what we do.”
Mr. Short has been repeatedly arrested in China after doing evangelical work there and “speaking out about brutality against Chinese Christians” in the country, according to a biography of him posted on a Christian website called Gospel Attract. His work in China began after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, the biography said.
The family’s press release also reported the tour company as saying that North Korean officials had refused to take their calls. Pyongyang has not confirmed Short’s detention.
The Australian government, which like the united state government, does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, is using its consulate in Seoul and the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang to handle the case.
“We are in close contact with Swedish officials in Pyongyang to seek their assistance in confirming the well-being of Mr. Short and to obtain more information,” said an Australian embassy spokesman in Seoul, explaining that its capacity to deliver consular services in Pyongyang was “extremely limited”.
Karen Short said that on his first trip to North Korea, her husband had been transparent about his faith and had openly read his bible in front of North Korean government guides when in Pyongyang.
In an interview with That’s Online, a website devoted to Chinese affairs, Ms. Short said Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs told her that her husband’s situation was “a different and difficult case.” Australia, like the United States, does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea.
A native of Barmera in southern Australia, Mr. Short came to Hong Kong in 1964, later focusing on missionary work with refugees from mainland China who had fled the Cultural Revolution. He raised three sons there with his wife, with whom he runs a Christian bookstore called the Christian Book Room.
“He’s courageous, this is my husband’s character,” said Mrs. Short. “I hope things get better — he’s in God’s hands, we both totally believe that. He won’t be intimidated by the communists.”
North Korea is ranked as one of the world’s most oppressive regimes in terms of freedom of religion. A United Nations report issued on Tuesday cited lack of religious freedom in a state whose human rights abuses it likened to those of Nazi Germany.
North Korea was faulted this week in a sharply critical United Nations report for, among other things, its intolerance of religious freedom. The report cited the North’s practice of “extermination,” murder, enslavement, torture, rape and persecution on grounds of race, religion and gender.
The family said in a press release that John Short was on his second trip to North Korea and was in possession of religious materials that had been translated into Korean.
He is the second Christian missionary being held by the North, the other is Kenneth Bae, a South Korean with US citizenship. Karen Short, John’s wife, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday: “It’s a bit traumatic, it’s been 48 hours and my husband is still there. I’m not upset, we’re Christian missionaries and we have tremendous support for what we do.”
Mr. Short has been repeatedly arrested in China after doing evangelical work there and “speaking out about brutality against Chinese Christians” in the country, according to a biography of him posted on a Christian website called Gospel Attract. His work in China began after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, the biography said.
The family’s press release also reported the tour company as saying that North Korean officials had refused to take their calls. Pyongyang has not confirmed Short’s detention.
The Australian government, which like the united state government, does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, is using its consulate in Seoul and the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang to handle the case.
“We are in close contact with Swedish officials in Pyongyang to seek their assistance in confirming the well-being of Mr. Short and to obtain more information,” said an Australian embassy spokesman in Seoul, explaining that its capacity to deliver consular services in Pyongyang was “extremely limited”.
Karen Short said that on his first trip to North Korea, her husband had been transparent about his faith and had openly read his bible in front of North Korean government guides when in Pyongyang.
In an interview with That’s Online, a website devoted to Chinese affairs, Ms. Short said Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs told her that her husband’s situation was “a different and difficult case.” Australia, like the United States, does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea.
A native of Barmera in southern Australia, Mr. Short came to Hong Kong in 1964, later focusing on missionary work with refugees from mainland China who had fled the Cultural Revolution. He raised three sons there with his wife, with whom he runs a Christian bookstore called the Christian Book Room.
“He’s courageous, this is my husband’s character,” said Mrs. Short. “I hope things get better — he’s in God’s hands, we both totally believe that. He won’t be intimidated by the communists.”
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