¥ American Association for the advancement of science human rights action network (AAASHRAN) November 2, 1993 Letter Writing Guide for Participants in AAASHRAN Attached for your reference and use is a copy of the AAAS Letter Writing Guide. Along with the information provided in our human rights network advisories, and the copies of the letters of concern and inquiry that AAAS has sent in each case (normally attached to each of the advisories), the Guide may assist you in drafting your own communications to relevant government officials. Please be advised that frequently it also is useful to send copies of your letters to non-governmental organizations (both in the U.S. and in the affected country) working on these types of cases, as well as to the Ambassador of the affected country here in the U.S., and to the desk officer for the affected country at the U.S. Department of State. In the future, to the extent these contact names and addresses are available, they will be included in AAASHRAN advisories for your convenience. Thus far, two case advisories have been transmitted to the AAASHRAN network involving the dismissal of scientists and professors in the physical sciences in Cuba and Mexico. We plan to circulate at least one new case to the network each week. Your comments and suggestions on the operation and effectiveness of the network are welcomed. We also would appreciate receiving copies of any communications on the network cases that you send. You can contact us through Morton Sklar at the Science and Human Rights Program at AAAS, 1333 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, tele: (202) 326-6799, fax: (202) 289-4950, E-mail: MSKLAR@AAAS.ORG on the Internet system. We welcome your participation and efforts on behalf of persecuted scientists, engineers, health care workers and academics, and hope you will spread the word about the AAASHRAN network to your colleagues. ¥ Letter-writing guide for scientists participating in the AAAS Human Rights Action Network The Science and Human Rights Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has formed a Human Rights Action Network for the scientific community. You can now directly receive and respond to information on the human rights violations of your scientific colleagues around the world. The principle aim of the network is to encourage AAAS members and others in the scientific professions to write letters of inquiry or protest on behalf of individual scientists, engineers, health professionals, and university students in scientific fields who experience violations of their human rights. Your letters will be addressed to officials in foreign governments and to diplomats, Congressional representatives, and other government officials in the United States. You will be joining dozens of scientific societies who, for over 16 years, have sent such letters in the name of their human rights committees or their executive boards. This guide is intended to explain how the AAAS Human Rights Action Network operates and to provide you with suggestions on how to write letters about human rights issues. ¥ Background on the AAAS Science and Human Rights program Since its founding as a project of the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility (CSFR) in 1976, the Science and Human Rights Program has researched hundreds of cases of human rights violations directed at the scientific community. These violations range from arbitrary arrest and detention, unfair trial proceedings, sentencing on charges that are inconsistent with international human rights law, to torture, "disappearance," and extrajudicial or arbitrary executions. We have also researched instances where governments have revoked academic degrees, interfered in the academic freedom and integrity of higher education, prevented scientists from attending international scientific meetings or from emigrating, and sanctioned the abuse of psychiatry for political purposes. The Science and Human Rights Program has responded, in the name of the CSFR, by writing thousands of letters urging the resolution of these issues or investigations of these human rights violations. The Science and Human Rights Program has also mobilized our network of over 60 scientific societies that have an interest in or actual committees on human rights to join us in our letter-writing actions. We realize that letter-writing is only one strategy among many that the scientific community can adopt to promote international respect for human rights. It is, however, a strategy that has proven successful in the past in defending the human rights of individual scientific colleagues. To expand the impact these letters have on governments that violate human rights, we are asking you to join us in our efforts. Over the years, several scientific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the American Physical Society, have formed letter-writing networks within their membership. In addition, activist organizations like the Committee of Concerned Scientists in New York and Physicians for Human Rights in Boston have hundreds of scientists and health professionals who participate in letter-writing campaigns and organize petitions on behalf of their colleagues. Amnesty International has an international network of health professionals with chapters in dozens of countries, including one in the United States, which participate in letter-writing action on behalf of medical colleagues or prisoners in need of medical attention. We are in close contact with all these groups and will coordinate efforts with them on particularly important or timely cases. ¥ How we get our information The AAAS Science and Human Rights Program (SHR Program) receives information on human rights violations affecting the scientific community from many sources. Amnesty International, the world-wide human rights organization, is our main supplier of information. We also receive news from such U.S.-based organizations as Human Rights Watch, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and the International Human Rights Law Group. International human rights monitoring groups overseas and local human rights groups that document events in their own country send us information as well. The SHR Program makes every effort to get to know these groups so that we can assess the reliability of their information. Once we receive information on a violation, we try to confirm the information with other groups and to determine its validity. We may send to you either the information as we receive it (if it is a reliable source) or we will prepare our own case sheet from information we compile from several sources. ¥ Recommended actions With the background information on the case, we will include questions that you may want to raise in your letters. We suggest that you choose certain questions to raise from among those that are suggested, rather than including all of the suggested questions in your letters. You can use our wording or you may want to customize your letters. Your letters may simply request information or confirmation of the facts described. Or your letters may protest well-documented violations of human rights. You should always be polite and courteous in your wording, but you can be firm and take a stand that upholds international human rights standards. We provide some sample letters at the end of this guide for your information. We will also send you the addresses of government officials to whom you should write. Generally you will receive addresses of key officials in the government of the country where the violation occurred and the addresses of U.S. government officials who follow human rights or who would be interested in learning of your concern. You need not write to all of the officials listed in the address section of the appeal. You should, however, write to at least one official in the country where the violations occurred and send copies of that letter to that country's ambassador to the United States and to a U.S. government official. By informing several people of your concern, you ensure that your letters have a greater impact. We frequently hear from members of Congress and officials at the State Department that they appreciate learning about the human rights concerns of the scientific community. They can then raise with the offending governments the cases we have identified and demonstrate that this concern is widespread and not just the opinion of the U.S. government. ¥ Urgency of response Some of the cases that we send to you will require an urgent response. We will indicate this in our mailing to you. Generally, we will urge you to write airmail letters or send faxes, telexes, or short telegrams by a certain date, preferably within a month after you receive an action. Other cases may be of a long-term nature where you should write every few months to officials in the country where the individual scientist, engineer, or health professional is living. We will let you know when the cases we send you will require sustained action over many months. We will also organize letter-writing and other activities to bring attention to them. In order to gauge the response we are getting to our appeals and our own effectiveness in organizing the scientific community, we ask that you send us copies of your letters or a postcard or e-mail message in which you indicate to whom, when, and on whose behalf you sent letters. ¥ How effective is letter writing? It is impossible to attribute directly a person's release or an improvement in his/her situation to the letter-writing campaign conducted on his/her behalf. We do know from reports from former detainees, their families, and international human rights monitoring groups that letter-writing does seem to have an impact. It not only lets the families or the detainees know that they are not forgotten, but it also puts governments on notice that their actions are being scrutinized by the outside world. In the letter-writing organized by the Program, you will usually be joining international appeals, where thousands of letters will arrive over a short period of time in a foreign government office. All of these letters will express the same concerns. You will be one of thousands who are defending the principles of human rights and who are trying to ensure that these ideals become a reality. ¥ Some guidelines for writing your letters The following information is taken largely from a letter-writing guide prepared by Amnesty International for its members. o Be courteous and respectful. Do not express anger or hostility. Avoid sarcastic, judgmental, or offensive statements. Assume that the official is either not aware of the facts or is willing to cooperate in improving the prisoner's situation. Do not be concerned about appearing overly gracious--many high-ranking officials expect to be addressed in this manner. Express appreciation for their consideration of your appeal and for any positive responsive action. Never forget that the person to whom you are writing is responsible for the well- being and, ultimately, the fate of the individual on whose behalf you are writing. o Be specific, accurate, and precise. If the date of arrest, place of detention, medical condition of the individual, or other facts are known, refer to them. If the case history states that authorities have violated a particular article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights or legal standards of the country, cite the article or law. Summarize the details about the individual and the circumstances surrounding the human rights violation, and appeal for the individual's release or a resolution of the problem. o Remain impartial. Avoid reference to any particular religious belief, cultural norm, or political ideology. Refer instead to such internationally accepted human rights documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. Do not make allegations or state opinions that go beyond the case history. Impartiality is vital in defending human rights. ¥ Some matters of form o You may write in your personal or professional capacity. You should not write as representing the views of any professional organizations that you belong to, unless you have been advised to do so by the human rights committee of that professional organization. You can identify yourself, however, as a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science or of your own professional society. o We will provide you with appropriate salutations to use in your letters. In general, you may use "Your Excellency" for heads of state, ministers, governors, and ambassadors; "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" for local authorities, prison officials, and police officials; "Your Honor" for judges; and "Dear General [Admiral, Captain, etc.]" for military officials. Your closings should be respectful and courteous, such as "Sincerely yours" and "Respectfully." o It is unlikely that you will receive a response to your appeal. If you do, however, please send a copy to our office so that we can forward the information to other human rights groups monitoring the individual case. ¥ United Nations documents that you can reference In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims the basic rights and freedoms that are deemed inalienable and essential foundations for humankind. It serves as the basis for the human rights activities of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program and of many human rights organizations around the world. Among the rights specified by the declaration are the right to life, work, education, to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, to a nationality, and to equal protection under the law; freedom of expression, opinion, movement, and assembly; freedom from torture, arbitrary arrest or exile, and from arbitrary interference in one's privacy. Copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are attached to this guide for your reference. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not legally binding on countries in the same way that a formal treaty would be. But it is a statement of principles that has come to be accepted in many nations as customary international law. Many countries also have incorporated international human rights standards into their own constitutions. They have signed and ratified human rights covenants on civil and political rights, on economic, social, and cultural rights, and other conventions against torture, genocide, discrimination on the basis of race or discrimination against women. By ratifying these covenants and conventions, countries accept the obligations under international law to uphold the rights and standards in these instruments. In some of the cases you will receive, the individual may be detained or imprisoned under cruel, degrading or inhuman conditions; subjected to medical risks or inappropriate care; or denied a fair and speedy trial. You may want to refer to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, developed by the United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1955 and revised in 1977. Among the minimum standards are: access to legal counsel, availability of medical care; family visitation privileges; freedom from unnecessarily cruel treatment and punishment; and adequate leisure, rest, diet, and space. We will try to cite specific articles under these rules when they are appropriate for the case you are working on. ¥ Sample letters We include here sample case histories and letters which you can use as a guide. In actual cases, you will receive more detailed background information than we provide here. Example 1: CASE HISTORY Dr. M., a psychiatrist in (country), was detained without charge or trial on (date). He was arrested on (date) in (city) with four other colleagues as they met in a restaurant, on suspicion of their involvement in an opposition political party. Dr. M. was kept incommunicado for four days naked in a cell flooded with several inches of water. He was beaten repeatedly during interrogation. Dr. M. was then moved to (name of prison), where he has been held for six months. He has not been allowed access to a lawyer or family members. No formal charges against Dr. M. have been made, nor has a trial date been set. Dr. M. has worked for the past 12 years at the (name of) hospital and was a founder of a community self-help group that meets regularly to improve social services in his town. The government of (country) ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1980 and the International Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment in 1988. Please send courteously worded letters appealing for the immediate release of Dr. M. as he has not been charged or tried with any internationally recognized crime to: The President of (country), (name), (address). The salutation is Dear Mr. President. LETTER OF APPEAL Dear Mr. President: As a physician concerned about the defense of human rights, I would like to bring to your attention the situation of Dr. M., a psychiatrist at (name of) hospital. Dr. M. is currently in detention at (name of prison), although he has not been formally charged with any crime. He was arrested in (city) on (date) along with four others, allegedly for his involvement in an opposition political party. I have also received reports that Dr. M. was then questioned, during which time he suffered beatings. He was later detained naked in a cell flooded with water. Dr. M has had no access to a lawyer or his family. As you are aware, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlines the human rights that should be respected by all governments and individuals. Article 19 of this declaration states that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference...." Article 20 states that "Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association." In 1988, your government ratified the International Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, which prohibits the practice of torture. Yet Dr. M. has suffered from severe physical and mental treatment while in official custody. Dr. M.'s arrest and detention appear to be in violation of human rights principles. I urge your government to conduct an immediate review of Dr. M.'s case in light of these considerations. I respectfully ask that you exert your influence so that Dr. M. may be released without further delay, as he has not been charged with any internationally recognized criminal offense. I also ask that Dr. M. receive any necessary medical attention for injuries he sustained while in detention. I am grateful for your careful attention to this letter and look forward to the honor of a response. Sincerely, Your Name cc: His Excellency John Doe, Embassy of (country) The Honorable John Q. Public, U.S. Embassy - (country) Example 2 CASE HISTORY Prof. C., a lecturer in electrical engineering at the University of (name), was leaving her office on (date) in (city) when three armed men in civilian dress dragged her into an awaiting car. Witnesses say the car, a white (model) with license plates ABCD 1234, was followed by another car with four armed men inside. Prof. C. was later seen at the (name) police station, but when relatives went to the station to inquire about Prof. C., they were told that no one by that name had been registered there. Family members have since inquired at other police stations and prisons, but have found no record of Prof. C.'s whereabouts. It is feared that Prof. C. has "disappeared." Prof. C. has been conducting research for the past four years on the social situation of indigenous peoples, where frequent violent confrontations occur between the Army and armed rebels fighting for independence. She herself is not known to have any political connections to the rebels or to have espoused or advocated violence. Please send courteously worded letters appealing for Prof. C.'s immediate release to Minister of Justice (name), (address). Salutation is "Your Excellency." LETTER OF APPEAL Your Excellency: I am disturbed by reports that I have received of the "disappearance" of Prof. C., a lecturer in electrical engineering at the University of (name). Prof. C. was reportedly leaving her office on (date) in (city) when three armed men in civilian dress dragged her into an awaiting car. Witnesses say the car, a white (model) with license plates ABCD 1234, was followed by another car with four armed men inside. Prof. C. was later seen at the (name) police station, but when relatives went to the station to inquire about Prof. C., they were told that no one by that name had been registered there. Family members have been unable to determine Prof. C.'s whereabouts, despite repeated inquiries with the police. I am writing to ask that you, as Minister of Justice, initiate inquiries among government and prison officials to determine the whereabouts of Prof. C. and the reason for her possible detention. Her engineering colleagues and I are deeply concerned about her fate. Please accept my appreciation for your time and interest in this matter and I look forward to any information you may be able to share with me on Prof. C.'s current situation. Respectfully, Your Name cc: His Excellency Jose Gomez, Minister of the Interior His Excellency Jorge Smith, Embassy of (country) The Honorable George Jones, U.S. Embassy - (country) Prof. F. Santos, (country) Society of Electrical Engineers ¥ Denial of adequate medical care to physicist Wang Juntao and other political prisoners in China Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1993 12:18:24 EDT From: DSALCEDO@GWUVM.BITNET AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION NETWORK (AAASHRAN) 21 November 1993 Case Alert Number: CH9323WANG -- Denial of adequate medical care to physicist Wang Juntao and other leaders of the 1989 Democracy Movement in Beijing and Tiananmen Square protests who currently are imprisoned. ISSUES: Security of the person; freedom of expression and association; right of detainees to adequate medical care FACTS OF THE CASE: Wang Juntao, now age 35, was arrested in November, 1989 for his role in the pro-democracy movement and Tiananmen Square protests in China. He was convicted of "counter-revoluntionary propaganda and agitation" and "conspiring to overthrow the government," and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. According to Amnesty International, Wang, who was adopted as a prisoner of conscience, did not receive a fair trial. His "crimes" included founding and editing an unofficial journal, Beijing Spring, and running as a candidate for political office in local elections. He is a social scientist and graduate of the Physics Department of Beijing Univeristy, and was deputy director of the Beijing Young Economists Association. Wang Juntao contracted Hepatitis B while incarcerated in Qingcheng Prison awaiting trail as a result of an innoculation from a non-sterilized needle. He was not permitted to see physicians or to receive medical treatment for over a year, during which time his condition detiorated to a chronic stage, and was further complicated by cardiac problems. These medical conditions have been confirmed and documented by physicians. Despite these health problems, Mr. Wang was placed in solitary confinement in a punishment cell in Beijing Number 2 Prison after his sentencing, under conditions that were ordinarily reserved for those violating prison rules, and not normally imposed on convicted prisoners. The cell measured only 2 square meters, was infested by insects, and had very poor ventilation. In September, 1991, after repeated medical problems and pressures from his family and the international community, Mr. Wang was transferred to the Yanqing Prison Hospital, and later transferred to the Military Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Beijing on June 5, 1993. Although he now receives some medical attention, it is still not adequate to the seriousness of his condition. According to Chinese law, prisoners in poor health are allowed to be released on bail for medical treatment. Wang Juntao's wife, Hou Xiantian, is leading an effort to have her husband released under that law on humanitarian grounds, so that he can be cared for by his family. Ellen Mercer, Director of the Office of International Affairs of the American Psychiatric Association, has proposed, alternatively, that Mr. Wang be invited to the U.S. to participate in a special treatment program for Hepatitis B administered by the National Institutes of Health. This program has invited orphans from Romania to participate in this treatment for similar humanitarian reasons. The fact that prison officials were responsible for Mr. Wang's contracting the disease, and denied him treatment when it could be controlled more easily, adds further weight to this appeal.. There is reason to believe that other political prisoners in Chinese prisons who are suffering from ailments also have been denied adequate medical care. Among those cited by Amnesty International as having being denied adequate medical attention are Chen Ziming, suffering from skin disease and malnutrition and still in prison, and Bao Zunxin, who was released on medical parole a year ago, but did not receive adequate care for a heart disease during his incarceration. Bow Tong, the highest ranking government official who was arrested in the aftermath of Tiananmen Square, also has been mentioned as being denied treatment for serious health problems while in prison. It is noteworthy that President Clinton, at his meeting with the President of China, Jiang Zemin, in Seattle on November 19, 1993, made specific mention of his concern about the prison conditions in China, and the health problems of prisoners, citing the problems of Wang Juntao as a case in point. We are asking scientific and human rights groups, and others concerned about the issues raised by this case, most especially those in the medical field, to support the efforts to have Wang Juntao released from prison so that he can receive proper medical attention, either at home, or in the United States. Mr. Wang's case involves violations of freedoms of expression and association, and the rights to security of the person and a fair trial, set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other international standards that deserve to be cited include those relating to medical care of detainees set out in the United Nations' Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Principles for the Protection of All Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment. These include the right to prompt medical examination provided free of charge, and adequate treatment while in detention. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams, telexes, faxes or airmail letters to both Chinese authorities, and to the U.S. National Institutes of Health: -- expressing concern about Wang Juntao's medical condition and inadequate treatment in prison; -- indicating that his treatment has been inconsistant with international human rights and prison condition standards; -- urging his release to his family in China or to the U.S. National Institutes of Health Hepititus B treatment program; -- requesting updated information on his health and medical treatment; -- stressing the urgency of securing his release on humanitarian grounds, citing the responsibility of Chinese prison officials for the onset of his ailments and for the detioration of this condition because of lack of attention and inadequate treatment; and -- citing President Clinton's reference to the general problem of inadequacy of medical care for political prisoners and others in Chinese prisons, and to the specific case of Wang Juntao, during televised comments at his Seattle meetings with Chinese President Jiang Zemin on November 19, 1993. [Source of information on this case: Amnesty International Medical Concern Alerts and documented reports of physicians and human rights groups monitoring developments in China.] APPEAL MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO: Primier Li Peng Zongli Guowoyuan Beijingshi Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo People's Republic of China Chen Minzhang Buzhang Minister of Health Weishengbu 44 Houhai Beiyan Gulou Xidajie Beijingshi People's Republic of China Adminstrator Military Hospital for Infectious Diseases Beijingshi People's Republic of China Xiao Yang Buzhang Minister of Justice Sifabu Xiaguangli Beijingshi 100016 People's Republic of China [NOTE: Faxes to China can be relayed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the number 011-86-1-513-0606, or through the Ministry of Justice at the number 011-86-1-467-7351.] Dr. Harold Varmus, Director, National Institutes of Health Room 126, Building 1 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Fax Number: (301) 402-2700 Dr. Phillip Gorden Director, National Institute of Kidney Diseases Room 31, Building 9A52 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Fax Number: (301) 402-2125 Dr. Adrian di Bisceglie Hepatitis B Program National Institue of Kidney Diseases Room 9C103B, Building 10 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Tele Number: (301) 402-3236 COPIES OF APPEALS SHOULD BE SENT TO: China Desk Officer U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 Nick Liang Alliance for a Democratic China P.O. Box 9152 Alexandria, Virginia 22304 Richard Dicker Human Rights in China 485 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor New York City, New York 10017 Please also send copies of your appeals, or refer any questions you may have, to Morton Sklar, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1333 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005; tele: (202) 326-6799; fax: (202) 289-4950; E-Mail: MSKLAR@AAAS.ORG on the Internet system. The keys to effective appeals are to be: courteous and respectful; accurate and precise; impartial in approach; and as specific as possible regarding the human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. References to your scientific connections and concerns also are very helpful. ¥ Arrest and imprisonment in South Korea 1 December 1993 SOUTH KOREA -- ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF CHEMISTRY STUDENT AND LEADER OF POLITICAL OPPOSITION GROUP -- RIGHTS AFFECTED INCLUDE SECURITY OF THE PERSON; RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL; AND FREEDOMS OF ASSOCIATION AND EXPRESSION Case Alert Number: SK9321KA -- Prisoner of conscience Kang Ki-hun, 27 year old chemistry student and leader of student political protest group. FACTS OF THE CASE: Kang Ki-hun and several other student protesters were members of the dissident organization Chonminnyon engaged in street protests and demonstrations in May of 1991. The demonstrations were called in response to riot police beating to death student Kang Kyung-dae on April 26, 1991. Nine young people committed self-immolation as an extreme form of protest, including 24 year old Kim Ki-sol, another staff member of the Chonminnyon group. Kang Ki-hun was arrested and convicted of assisting and masterminding Mr. Kim's and the other students' suicides, including writing and signing Mr. Kim's suicide note which included a call for democratic reform. Mr. Kang also was charged with violation of the National Security Law for belonging to an "anti-state" group, Hyoknomaeng, because a copy of minutes of a meeting of this group was found in his home. Mr. Kang was sentenced to three years in prison, and suspension of civil rights for 18 months. His conviction was upheld by both the High Court on 20 April 1992, and the Supreme Court on 24 July 1992, despite substantial indications that his trial was unfair. The court had based its judgment on a handwriting analysis conducted by a state agency, the National Institute for Scientific Investigation. But the expert conducting the analysis refused to describe the methodology he used, and subsequently was arrested on charges of accepting a bribe to provide false testimony in an unrelated case. A Japanese graphologist commissioned by the Korean National Council of Churches, Yoshio Onishi, conducted an independent analysis that concluded that Mr. Kim had written the suicide note himself. Mr. Kim's companion testified that she had been forced to state while in detention that Mr. Kang forged Mr. Kim's handwriting. Other documents written by Mr. Kim on his discharge from the military were concealed by the prosecution to prevent their being compared with the suicide note. Even the presiding judge at Mr. Kang's trial, taking all these factors into account, indicated that, "We do not believe that our judgment is in accordance with the objective and absolute truth." All of these factors have led Amnesty International to adopt Mr. Kang as a prisoner of conscience, and to conclude that his trial was unfair and that the evidence used to convict him was inconclusive and unconvincing. An effort is being conducted by Amnesty and other groups to have the results of the trial set aside, and a new investigation and trial held. Some interest recently has been expressed by the Legislation-Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly to reopen Mr. Kang's case. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams, telexes, faxes or airmail letters: -- expressing concern regarding the unfairness of Mr. Kang's arrest, trial and imprisonment; -- indicating that these actions are inconsistent with standards of freedom of association and expression and fair trial set out in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the Republic of Korea has ratified; -- requesting updated information on Mr. Kang's status; -- protesting the misuse of science and the use of improper scientific methods in the handling of the handwriting analysis at trial; -- calling for Mr. Kang's conviction to be overturned, and a new trial conducted on a fair and impartial basis; and -- appealing for the prompt release of Mr. Kang from prison pending the outcome of a fair trial. SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THIS CASE: Amnesty International Secretariat and Research Department APPEAL MESSAGES AND LETTERS SHOULD BE SENT TO: President Kim Young-sam Blue House 1 Sejong-no Chongno-gu Soeul REPUBLIC OF KOREA (Telegrams: President Kim, Soeul, Republic of Korea) (Telexes: 959-24651 or 959-24652 or 959-24653 WOIMUBU K) (Faxes: 011-822-720-2686) [Salutation: Dear President Kim:] Minister of Justice Kim Doo-hee 1 Chungang-dong Kwachon-myon, Shihung-gun Kyonggi Province REPUBLIC OF KOREA (Telegrams: Justice Minister Kim, Shihung-gun, Kyongi Province, Republic of Korea) (Telexes: 959-24757 MOJUST K) (Faxes: 011-822-504-3337) [Salutation: Dear Minister Kim] COPIES OF APPEALS SHOULD BE SENT TO: Committee on Legislation and Judiciary National Assembly Seoul REPUBLIC OF KOREA Sarangbang (Group for Human Rights) Fax Number: 82-2-745-9712 Minkahyop (Group for Human Rights) 2Fl, 592-7 Changsin-2-dong Soeul REPUBLIC OF KOREA Ambassador Han Seung-Soo Embassy of Korea 2450 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 Ms. Clare McVey Asia Research Department Amnesty International 1 Easton Street London WC1X 8DJ UNITED KINGDOM Fax: 011-44-71-956-1157 South Korea Desk Officer U.S. Department of State Washington, DC 20520 Please also send copies of your appeals, and refer any further questions you may have on this case, to: Morton Sklar, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1333 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005; tele: (202) 326-6799; fax: (202) 289-4950; E-Mail: MSklar@AAAS.ORG on the Internet system. Reference can be made to the AAAS Human Rights Network and the AAAS appeal letter (attached) if you wish, although appeals written in your own professional capacity, or on behalf of your professional association, tend to be given greater weight. The keys to effective appeals are to be: courteous and respectful; accurate and precise; impartial in approach; and as specific as possible regarding the human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. 26 October 1993 President Kim Young-sam Blue House 1 Sejong-no Chongno-gu Soeul REPUBLIC OF KOREA Dear President Kim: On behalf of the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), I am writing to express our concern regarding the imprisonment of Kang Ki-hun, a former student of chemistry at Dongguk University in Seoul. On 20 December 1991, he was found guilty of aiding and abetting the suicide of Kim Ki-sol and given a sentence of three years' imprisonment and 18 months' suspension of civil rights. From the information we have received, we understand that Kang Ki-hun was a member of the dissident organization Chonminnyon. In the past we have received many reports of harassment of members of this organization and we are concerned that he may have been arrested on account of his peaceful political protests. We are led to believe this due to a number of reports we have received alleging that Kang Ki-hun's trial was conducted in an unfair manner and that key evidence was ignored. We understand that, upon delivering his verdict at the first trial (20 December 1991) the presiding judge stated that: "we do not believe that our judgement is in accordance with the objective and absolute truth." We are further concerned that the main accusation against Kang Ki-hun, that he helped draft the suicide note of Kim Ki-sol, may be unfounded. We understand that although the court placed gave much credence to the testimony of the National Institute for Scientific Investigation (NISI) that the writing was that of Kang Ki-hun, it apparently gave little attention to other testimonies such as the one by Yoshio Onishi, a Japanese graphology expert, which found that the handwriting was that of Kim Ki-sol himself. In light of the recent arrest of Kim Hyong-yong, NISI's chief for document analysis, on charges of taking money in exchange for providing false or fabricated evidence, it appears that a retrial may be in order. In addition, we understand that Hong Song-un, one of the key witnesses in Kang Ki-hun's trial, has stated to the press that she had been intimidated by prosecutors into testifying against Kang in his first trial. We are encouraged that the Legislation-Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly has recently shown an interest in re-opening Kang Ki-hun's case. We urge you to review his case and ask that you seek a retrial for Kang Ki-hun in light of recent developments. The AAAS, with 296 affiliated scientific societies and 134,000 individual members, is the largest organization of natural and social scientists in the United States and the world's largest federation of scientific associations. The AAAS publishes Science magazine and concerns itself not only with substantive problems of science but also with the role of science in the world and the rights and responsibilities of scientists. The AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, formed in 1976, focuses on this latter concern and seeks to defend the professional and human rights of scientists everywhere. The Committee uses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. in 1948, as a guideline for its human rights activities. We thank you in advance for your swift action in Kang Ki-hun's behalf. Sincerely, C.K. Gunsalus Chair, AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility