미국 국무부가 2008년도 국제종교자유 보고서를 발표하면서 기자회견을 통해 한국의 양심적 병역거부자들이 대체복무를 할 수 있도록 국회가 입법을 하도록 요청했다. 미국은 병역거부자의 처벌을 천부적인 인권의 문제, 종교의 자유에 대한 제한으로 인식하고 있다는 것을 보여주는 보고서이다.

 

2008 세계 종교자유 보고서
민주주의, 인권, 노동국

미국 국무부

2008년 9월 19일
International Religious Freedom Report 2008
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

U.S. Department of State
September 19, 2008

 

전체 http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2008/
대한민국 http://seoul.usembassy.gov/p_sr_092208rok.html

 

섹션II. 종교 자유 현황

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

 

On September 18, 2007, the Government announced the introduction of alternative service for religious or conscientious objectors. Conscientious objectors would serve 36 months in national hospitals or recuperation centers, which is 10 to 14 months longer than the required military service. More than 60 percent of Koreans oppose such alternative service, and the legislation had not passed in the National Assembly at the end of the reporting period. As of May 2008, according to Jehovah’s Witnesses, 489 followers were in prison for conscientious objection to military service. More than 60 followers who previously completed compulsory military service were subjected to repeated fines for their refusal to participate in mandatory annual military reserve duty.