The Global Citizens' Coalition for Social Justice, together with human rights organisations, religious leaders and youth and women organisations joined their voices together and called for religious freedom on Sunday 3 February 2019, at Auckland’s iconic Mataatua Marae.

The rally, which opposed human rights abuses by religious institutions globally, was held across many nations including London, New York, Seoul and Cape Town. This comes at a key time as celebrations begin for the World Interfaith Harmony Week to promote peace and tolerance among faiths and religious institutions, in light of religious freedom violations such as the practice of coercive conversion which has led to violent deaths.

New Zealand has a proud tradition of protecting and promoting human rights at home and overseas, and New Zealand recognizes that human rights are vital for the development of diverse, inclusive and democratic societies. Despite this, problems of family violence, racism and religious intolerance need to be addressed. Historically in this nation, tangata whenua have also had their culture, language, and religion oppressed.

Internationally, civil society organisations are calling for governments to intervene and close down religious institutions abusing individuals’ rights to practice their religion of choice freely. The Global Citizens’ Human Rights Coalition is made up of about 100 organisations in South Korea, including the International Women’s Peace Human Rights Commission, the Christian Association for Anti-Corruption National Movement and the World Buddhist Summit. It was established to expose the practice of coercive conversion in the country and to call for the shut-down of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) after a 27-year-old woman, Ji In Gu, was murdered for refusing to abandon her faith. On 27 January 2019, the coalition hosted a rally in Seoul where 30,000 people gathered to promote this cause.

The official statement by the Coalition, said, “In case of the rise of denominations that do not belong to the CCK, fake news is produced to judge them as “cult”. Also, women are targeted and confined for forceful conversion practices. The recent death of two women in the coercive conversion programs shows clearly that human rights and the lives of citizens are at risk because of the CCK.”

Jane Ruka, Director of the Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council said, “I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in South Korea, and I can’t believe anyone else would in Korea. I have the deepest sadness that one person had to die. What is the government of Korea doing, why are they tolerating it? This is the worst I have heard yet!”

Global Citizen’s Coalition for Social Justice call upon New Zealand citizens to join our cries and demand an end to human rights abuses by religious institutions and the practice of coercive conversion. We call on the government of New Zealand to condemn these practices and encourage the protection of the right to freedom of religion in our country, region and around the world.

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