The National Human Rights Commission of Korea, in commemoration of the 12th day for Persons affected by Hansen’s disease, carried out human rights counseling tour at the Sorokdo National Hospital in Jeonnam on May 15.
The NHRCK organized the event in order to provide patients with Hansen’s disease an opportunity to resolve difficulties that they are face with by listening to their voices and conducting counseling on human rights issues, discrimination and legal cases.
The NHRCK has been carrying out human rights counseling tour since 2003 to provide counseling to the underrepresented in our society including persons with disabilities, members of multicultural families and people with HIV/AIDS. This is the second time that the NHRCK visited the Sorokdo following the counseling service carried out in 2005 at the Sorokdo National Hospital.
The NHRCK carried out a survey on human rights situation of persons with leprosy in a bid to protect and promote their human rights, and hosted debates and presentation on result of survey. In addition, in May 2006, through deliberation at the Plenary Committee, it made recommendation of which main contents are improvement of human rights of persons with leprosy, enactment of special act to identify and compensate previous human rights violation, improvement of conditions of the National Sorokdo Hospital and enhancement of welfare policies that are discriminatory against persons with leprosy.
The NHRCK visited the Sorokdo on May 15 in commemoration of the Day of Persons affected by Hansen’s disease, and Chairperson Hyun Byung-chul met with them and listened to difficulties that they are faced with, hoping to help them in resolving such problems.
The NHRCK believes that implementation of the Act on Inquiry into Human Rights Abuses Suffered by Persons Affected by Hansen’s Disease and on Providing Assistance to Such Victims resulted in achievements in protection of human rights and discrimination rectification for persons with leprosy. However, from the perspective of international human rights standards comprehensive measures to address human rights violation and discrimination against them still lack behind. The NHRCK wishes to constantly contribute to changing social perception on Hansen’s Diseases and persons affected by the disease.
