Blog #10: North Korea says proud of its human rights record

Analysis

         During a United Nations meeting, “Pyongyang was reacting to a report to the U.N. General Assembly's Third Committee, which focuses on rights issues, from U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea Marzuki Darusman that described "a wide range of human rights violations."  The abuses that North Korea has been accused with are using political camps for long periods of time, really bad prison conditions, and cruel and unusual punishments.  Kim Song, who represents North Korea in the United Nations, read a comment to all other 193 members of the United Nations and told them that her country rejects all allegations made against North Korea.  "The report of the special rapporteur is a product of the hostile policies of the United States and European Union against the DPRK (North Korea) and is a typical example of politicization, double standards and selectivity on the issue of human rights," Kim said.  They are taking away their citizens human rights by abusing them without reason or without committing a crime.  In 2006, North Korea had worked with the United Nations to try and resolve this problem, but North Korea eventually stopped when they were asked to give records to the UN.  “Darusman reiterated his concerns about North Korean prison camps, which he told the committee held between 150,000 and 200,000 prisoners.”  “China and other countries complained about the practice of adopting General Assembly resolutions that single out countries for their records on human rights.”

Summary

         In a United Nations meeting this week, the U.N. General Assembly asked Marzuki Darusman a few questions about the conditions of North Korea’s prison camps.  He had Kim Song who was a representative of the country in the United Nations, said that their country had denied all allegations by the United Nations.  North Korea is being accused of denying human rights to prisoners and punishing their citizens without reason or without committing a crime.  North Korea is reported to have more than 150,000 prisoners and denying most of them human rights.  This is why the United Nations has been trying to get accurate records from North Korea, but they are being difficult and not allowing them access to records.  The United Nations is still trying to work with North Korea and try to resolve this growing issue.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-korea-north-un-idUSBRE8A11F120121102