FNs særlige rapportør for Nordkorea, der aldrig har fået lov at besøge det kommunistiske storgods, fremlægger ny kulsort rapport om 16 millioner underernærede og styrets tilsyneladende uanfægtethed heraf samt “forfærdende” overgreb på menneskerettighederne.
NEW YORK, 2 November 2012: An independent United Nations expert Friday voiced continued concern about the situation in North Korea, and urged the Government to re-think its focus on military expenditure and to allocate resources to improve the living standards of its people.
“I continue to be concerned with both the human rights and humanitarian situation in the country,” the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, Marzuki Darusman, said ahead of his briefing to the UN General Assembly in New York.
He added that it is very concerning that some 16 million North Koreans – of a total population of 25 million – continue to suffer from varying degrees of chronic food insecurity and high malnutrition.
It is also disconcerting (urovækkende), said Mr. Darusman, that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has declared that his first, second and third priorities were to strengthen the military.
“Slow economic growth coupled with what is known as a ‘military first policy’ will of course be detrimental (skadelig) to the welfare of the North Korean people,” the Special Rapporteur stated.
The expert urged the Government to re-think its approach to the ‘military-first policy’ and re-allocate enough resources to improve people’s living standards.
At the same time, he stressed the need for the international community to provide continued humanitarian support to the people in the secluded country without making the support contingent (betinget) on any political conditions.
“Overall, during this reporting period, there was no sign of improvement in the human rights situation in North Korea,” stated Mr. Darusman, who has not been granted access to the country, despite repeated requests, since his appointment in August 2010.
In his report to the Assembly (se nedenfor) he focused on freedom of opinion and expression, provisions of the criminal procedure code (retssystem) that are not in line with international standards, the case of Mr. Oh Kil-nam and his family, the situation of asylum-seekers and trafficking of persons, and the economic situation of the people and its impact on economic, social and cultural rights.
The independent expert also stressed that “egregious” (forfærdende) human rights abuses in North Korea have been extensively documented by various actors, including UN entities, for decades.
Independent experts, or special rapporteurs like Mr. Darusman, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme.
The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
Kilde: FNs Nyhedstjeneste
Se mere på
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/gashc4049.doc.htm
