Surveillance Cameras in Military Prisons Violate Human Rights
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended the chief of general staff in the Air Force to revise or eliminate current prison management regulations and to administer a human rights education program.
Mr. Cho registered a complaint at the NHRC claiming that the Gye-Ryung Air Force Supporting Corp. Military Police Battalion (the Gye-Ryung Battalion) has violated human rights. The Gye-Ryung Battalion is currently enforcing a program called "breaking-in." The program restricts the inmates from having outdoor exercises and places surveillance cameras throughout the prison.
Under the current Prison Management Regulation (Article 14 Paragraph 2), the newly admitted prisoners in a solitary confinement are banned from reading any kinds of materials for 3 days, and the rest of the new prisoners are banned from outdoor exercises and showers and their compliance to these regulations is monitored by surveillance cameras which have been placed throughout the prison complex.
While the NHRC was conducting an investigation, the Air Force Headquarters declared that they will revise or eliminate those clauses that could incite human rights violations and they will grant new prisoners the same rights as the existing prisoner, such as allowing them to read, take showers and exercise outdoors. They also noted that they will remove some of the surveillance cameras that might be in violation of human rights.
The NHRC decided that the Prison Management Regulation itself is violating the right to personal liberty secured by the Constitution of Korea under Article 12. In order to prevent further violations against inmates, the NHRC recommended the Air Force to revise and delete the clauses and provide human rights education programs for prison authorities and workers.
