January 27, 2008
I, myself, Ms Angkhana Neelapaijit, am writing on behalf of the Working Group on Justice for Peace (WGJP – Thailand), and as a recipient of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.
I appreciated having the chance to visit Korea and observe the democratic environment as well as love of freedom, especially the effort to protect human rights and dignity, not only for the Korean people but also for all humankind. I shared these good impressions with my Thai brothers and sisters. I am also very pleased to have learnt of how the Gwangju people fought for democracy and to prosecute the country’s tyrants. And I was impressed to see Korean youth acknowledge their predecessors’ struggles. I know that all Koreans are proud of this fighting history.
As one of those honored by the Gwangju people as human rights defender, I am sorry to be informed about the intervention of the Korean government into the affairs of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea NHRCK. I believe that neither the Korean government nor the Presidential Transition Team has authority to intervene into the work of the NHRCK. The Korean government has to realize that the country’s development is not only a matter of material progress. A real civilization is that in which the dignity, honor and freedom of human beings are respected, so that they can live their lives adequately.
In a democratic country, the power of the executive, legislature and judiciary must be independent of one another and subject to scrutiny by the people, because the people are the real democratic power. Any independent agencies arising under the constitution have to be independent and free from intervention. If the NHRCK is subject to outside intervention, the Korean people could not proud of their victory in fighting for their human rights anymore.
I am therefore sending this letter to ask for the protection of the independence of the NHRCK. I myself and the Thai people, who are in favor of justice and human rights, are ready to protect the rights of people under every country’s constitution and international conventions. I believe that there are no boundaries in the fight for justice and human rights.
Finally, I am confident that in the end the people will win the battle.
With confidence in human dignity
Angkhana Neelapaijit
Working Group on Justice for Peace
Bangkok
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