WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today commended the organizers and participants of the North Korea Freedom Day rally for taking a stand against the authoritarian regime in North Korea and its regular abuses of human rights.

"It is hard to imagine a country whose citizens endure a worse or more pervasive abuse of every human right," said Brownback. "The North Korean government prohibits freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement. The lucky few who have escaped describe political concentration camps and tell stories of horrors beyond the imagination. Sadly, these systematic human rights abuses are often lost amidst the discussion of regional security, nuclear nonproliferation, and the war against terrorism."

An estimated 1.5 million prisoners have been killed in North Korea's prison camps, and approximately 200,000 are currently imprisoned.

Brownback continued, "I have encouraged President Bush to do more to help refugees from North Korea, and soon I hope to see escaped North Koreans admitted into the U.S. as refugees, as opposed to asylum seekers. Officially recognizing those who escape as refugees sends a strong message to the regime, and little else can achieve as much tangible progress toward improving the human rights of North Koreans."

Brownback has pushed for an expansion of the S-visa program to be included in the Senate's immigration reform bill, which would provide admission into the United States for persons with national security and terrorism-related intelligence, particularly those from North Korea and Iran.

"North Koreans brave enough to escape to China are not better off, as the Chinese government violates international conventions on refugee rights by repatriating them to North Korea, where they face prison and persecution," stated Brownback. "The United States has a moral obligation to provide refugee status to those who escape the regime, and certain defectors, who must be thoroughly vetted, can aid the U.S. by providing valuable intelligence about the regime's illicit WMD programs."

The Capitol Hill rally is hosted by the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a bipartisan coalition of non-profit aid agencies and individuals.

Senator Brownback serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.