Whether we desire it or not, we are all born as members of one human family in an increasingly interdependent world.
Whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, from whatever nation, religion, or ideology—we are, in the end, nothing more than fellow human beings. We all seek happiness and wish to avoid suffering. In any society, genuine happiness can only be attained where there is freedom of thought and freedom of expression. Human rights can only be realized where trust, understanding, and freedom from fear prevail.
Tragically, those who cannot even speak for themselves are people whose rights have already been stripped away.
For my part, I have spoken out not only for those suffering in Tibet, but also to express concern over human rights abuses committed by authoritarian regimes, including China. The responsibility to speak rests upon those of us who enjoy such freedoms.
I have learned that an international conference, organized by the Association for the Protection of the Lives and Human Rights of North Korean Returnees together with the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, will be held in Tokyo on May 11, 1996. This conference will express grave concern over the widespread violations of human rights in North Korea and throughout the world.
I sincerely wish for the success of this conference, and I pray that those whose rights have been taken away may soon live in their own countries with freedom and dignity.