UN rights body rebukes North Korea for grave abuses
Reuters AlertNet - UN rights body rebukes North Korea for grave abuses
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA, April 14 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Thursday censured North Korea for “widespread and grave violations” — including torture, executions and forced abortions — drawing a sharp rebuke from the secretive communist state.
The U.N. Commission on Human Rights, whose 53 member states are holding an annual session, urged Pyongyang to cooperate with its special investigator on the Democratic Republic of Korea.
The resolution, brought by the European Union (EU) and Japan, was adopted by a vote of 30 countries in favour, nine against and 14 abstentions, including South Korea.
It expressed deep concern at torture, public executions, arbitrary detention, “infanticide”, imposition of the death penalty for “political reasons”, the existence of a “large number of prison camps” and extensive use of forced labour.
The United States delegation denounced North Korea’s “deplorable human rights record”.
U.S. delegate Sasha Mehra took the floor to say that in North Korea, “150,000 to 200,000 people were believed to be held at detention camps in remote areas for political reasons”.
“Defectors report people dying of torture, starvation, disease and exposure or a combination of causes,” she added. “We stand with the victims of the brutal regime.”
But North Korea’s delegation reacted angrily, accusing the forum of “politicisation, selectivity and double standards”.
“The fundamental purpose of this resolution is to overthrow the state system of the DPRK,” said member Choe Myong Nam.
RNGLEADERS
Most targets of the “naming and shaming” at the Commission were “developing countries pursuing independent policies with ideals different from those of the West,” he added.
Choe singled out Britain and Japan as “ringleaders” of the text, saying Britain appeared “hell-bent on overthrowing the state system of the DPRK hand-in-hand with the United States”.
China’s ambassador Sha Zukang, who voted against the resolution, said: “The effective way to promote human rights does not lie in confrontation and shaming, but rather enlightened dialogue and cooperation.”
“We are against the practice of using human rights issues to exert political pressure on developing countries,” Sha added.
North Korea has refused requests by the U.N. special rapporteur or investigator, Vitit Muntarbhorn, to visit.
Muntarbhorn, a Thai law professor serving in the independent post established a year ago, has reported widespread abuses and urged North Korea to end capital punishment and forced labour.
South Korea’s ambassador Choi Hyuck said that his country shared other countries’ deep concerns about the state of human rights in North Korea but questioned the value of rebukes alone.
“We believe as important as it is for the international community to continuously express its concern over the situation…it is equally important to create an environment that encourages the DPRK to change voluntarily…,” Choi said.
