[USFK Forums] UN General Assembly voices serious concern about N. Korea's rights[AFP]

[C. Y. Lee]

[Uploaded by C. Y. Lee, Friday, November 18, 2005] There is also a photo to be uploaded if possible by Mike. An article reported by AFP is uploaded as follows:
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UN General Assembly voices serious concern about North Korea's rights record

Thu Nov 17, 1:48 PM ET

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution expressing serious concern about the precarious human rights and humanitarian situation in North Korea, but South Korea abstained.

Citing continuing reports of "systemic, widespread and grave violations of human rights", the assembly voted 84 in favor, 22 against with 62 abstentions to urge Pyongyang to "fully respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms."

It also expressed "deep concern at the precarious humanitarian situation in the country, particularly the prevalence of infant malnutrition, which still affects the physical and mental development of a significant proportion of children."

South Korea, however, declined to support the EU-sponsored resolution.

"The Republic of Korea shares the serious concerns of the international community regarding the human rights situation faced by the people of the Democratic People's of Korea (DPRK)," South Korea's UN delegate Shin Kak-Soo said.

"At the same time, my government has other crucial objectives in our policy towards the DPRK which are in our view vital for peace and security in the Korean peninsula," he added to explain his decision to abstain.

Thursday's vote was the first on North Korean human rights abuses by the General Assembly, although similar resolutions have been passed at the UN Commission on Human Rights since 2003.

The resolution cited "torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, public executions, extrajudicial and arbitrary detention, the absence of due process and the rule of law, the imposition of the death penalty for political reasons, the existence of a large number of prison camps an the extensive use of force labor" in North Korea.