Amnesty Secretary General: "Governments Don't Stand Up to Predators... They Instead Appease Them"

"Pandemic of Human Rights Abusers... Attacking Universal Human Rights"
Visits Site Where Park Jongchul Was Tortured... Reflects on Significance of South Korea's Pro-Democracy Movement

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, called on the South Korean government to change course, saying that democracy and human rights are being rolled back amid the global spread of authoritarianism.

Speaking at a special lecture held at the Seoul Global Center on October 22, Callamard said, "The world is facing a pandemic of human rights abusers. They are attacking the foundations of universal human rights and the multilateral system established to protect them."

Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, gives a lecture at the Seoul Global Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 22nd. Yonhap News

She named U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others, and argued that they are undermining global democracy and the human rights order.

"They are replacing democracy with war and normalizing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide," she said. "The ideology they are spreading is built on extreme greed, nationalism, racism, and masculinity."

Callamard also turned her criticism to how governments around the world are responding.

"Whether it is China, the United States, Russia, or Israel, most governments do not stand up to predators when confronted with them," she said. "Instead, they appease them and try to make peace with them."

"You cannot make peace with predators. Doing so only emboldens them to continue bullying others," she said. "This criticism also applies to the South Korean government."

Yonhap News Agency

Callamard said she had visited the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall the previous day and seen the place where Park Jong-chul was tortured, reflecting on the significance of South Korea's pro-democracy movement.

She shared the contents of a letter Park had sent to his parents during his lifetime, in which he wrote, "If you do not have the courage to call evil evil, you must have the courage to believe sincerely in the truth in your heart."

"Park Jong-chul's courage to denounce evil, seek the truth, and resist is still alive in South Koreans today," Callamard said.

She also mentioned the South Korean activist Haecho, who was detained by Israeli authorities after joining an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip, saying, "The courage to raise awareness of what is happening in Palestine and speak the truth is also part of the legacy Park Jong-chul left behind."

"History is written not only by those who kill and destroy, but also by those who fight every day to protect rights and dignity," Callamard said. "Solidarity is our greatest strength, and acting with courage is a duty we all share."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.