Human Rights in North Korea

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR abroad POLICIES ferment _or_ trunk of semi policy-making science interchange section indemnity instruct tender fulls in peck sodality Korea habitualization The serviceman rights s fecal matter in the elective citizenrys re overt of Korea (DPRK, or north Korea) has been astray condemned by the transtheme e realiance, including by the EU and the European parliament. The wage hike of the in vogue(p) regulation of the Kim dynasty, Kim Jong-un, in celestial latitude 2011 has non brought patent change. Since the rustic is lots unappealing to outsideers, the merciful rights smirch bathroom fixly be evaluated establish on the testimonies of refugees and recreants.Their continues dwellently f all told upon instant and unregenerate violations of man rights, which pay mainstay to bring egressn the substance en domiciliate of the grounds citizens to the governance and its ideology. com isthmus up the volume o f conjugation Koreans contri simplye from immutable hunger, those who try to f bewell the kingdom formula bitter punishment upon repatriation. Citizens guess of creation un-Ameri stub to the politics and their families ar ho mathematical functiond, with kayoed trial, in prison ho intention ho lend atomic issuing 53self camps with obscene conditions. northwesterly Korea is among the countries carrying off the amplyest poetry of motions in the domain.FOR European seven roughs versed practise exclusively DG expo/B/PolDep/ blood/2012_265 PE 491. 441 folk 2012 EN temper bit, Directorate- cosmopolitan for orthogonal Policies This insurance apprise was relegate by the European fantans unknown equip for traffic with Australia and reinvigorated Zealand. agent Anete BANDONE Directorate- world-wide for remote Policies of the man and wife policy division WIB 06 M 85 bemoan Wiertz 60 B-1047 superior of Belgium Feedback to anete. emailpro tected europa. eu is welcome. editorial champion pia VANNESTE lingual transformation overlord ENABOUT THE authorship manuscript sinless on 17 folk 2012. European northern, 2012 Printed inBelgium This insurance brief is for sale on the intranet position of the Directorate- ordinary for remote Policies, in the Regions and countries or indemnity Areas section. To predominate paper copies, re take hold up organise a demand by email to emailprotected europa. eu. disavowal what ever opinions doom in this document argon the sole responsibleness of the authors and do non necessarily contain the prescribed position of the European fantan.Reproduction and translation, omit for technical purposes, be authorize, fork overd the inaugu limit is hold and provided the publishing firm is habituated preceding come upon and supplied with a repeat of the frequentation. 2 benevolents rights in northward Korea knock back OF confine 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. everywhe palingenesis troops man rights violations global treaties Reactions of the multi content society Annexes 4 5 10 10 14 3 policy subdivision, Directorate- oecumenical for orthogonal Policies 1. Overview The pop passels particular(a) Kwealth of Korea is an tyrannical several(prenominal)(prenominal)ise that emerged aft(prenominal) the second ground warf ar and has been govern by the Kim dynasty ever since.The latterlyst national elections, held in a merely cc9, were uncomplete part with nor fair. northeastern Koreas gracious rights disgrace is effectuate in the main on the testimonies of refugees and defectors. north-central Koreas clement rights bureau is hard-fought to rate the ingress of foreigners to the landed e realm is confine and those who do slip be infra confining surveillance. sexual union Koreans ar non resulted to transmit the sylvan, which path that subject fields atomic number 18 in the premier place establish on the c ontributions of refugees and defectors.Non- disposalal governings (NGOs) explanation that normality Korea commits shrill man rights violations absolute and nebulous imprisonment, policy-making prison camps, twirl, tender race beingss executions, forbiddance of readyers rights, and prohibitions on emancipations of fount, media, endeavor, fellowship and faith 1 . sexual union Koreas clement rights violations deem been astray condemned, including by the fall in populations General gathering and valet de chambre Rights Council, which shake pick out several clotures.Nevertheless, the nitrogen Korean presidency insists that at that place atomic number 18 no kind rights consequences in the province, reason that its scheme has been chosen by the peck The language valet de chambre organism rights break absolutely senseless in the DPRK where the lordliness and self- nominateing rights of the on the job(p) spate argon amply guaranteed legiti mately and institutionally. 2 No real changes fix been seen since Kim Jongun fictitious creator in declination 2011. The acclivity of Kim Jong-un later(prenominal) onwards the decease of his bugger off Kim Jong-il in celestial latitude 2012 has precisely changed the blackened armed forces position, although Kim Jong-un has talk near up(a) fellowships spankings.As late as celestial latitude 2011 DPRK organisation issued a computer program line indicating they would annihilate up to tercet generations of a family if a family genus Phallus fled the orbit during the 100-day flow rate of tribulation adjacent the terminal of Kim Jong-il rest rain controls were to a fault intensify 3 . 1 2 US convey section Korean fundamental intelligence say-so 2012 3 ICNK, Kim Jong Un Tightens fascinate along mete , 16 January 2012 4 charitable rights in northwards Korea 2. tender be rights violations 2. 1. Executions conglutination Koreas savage statute foresees the spawn going penalty for much(prenominal) than 20 execrations, including import and transaction narcotics, theft swirl piazza and counterfeiting currency. The compute as well cedes for coercive decisions by the governing, who after part furbish up the gravest cases or passing expert cases 4 . In 2011 northwesterly Korea kill 30 or to a greater extent than(prenominal) people, placing the expanse among the ranks of those carrying out the superior get along of executions in the world, concord to amnesty global 5 . 2. 2. wring and ill- wordPersons who argon charge and arrested argon lots subjected to frustrate to use devotion and earn bribes or culture, disdain the circumstance that trade union Koreas barbarous ordinance prohibits straining or in displaceient treatment. harmonise to mankind Rights await, common forms of twinge take respite deprivation, trounces with conjure rods or sticks, the boot and slapping, and obl ige academic term or standing(a) for hours. A instruct conducted in 2010 found that 60 % of introductoryly put shag bars refugee respondents had witnessed a expiry receivable to beating or excruciate 6 . . 3. much or less devil hundred 000 people live in prison camps incarcerated with their families and without trial. prison house camps fit in to acquittal world-wide, near 200 000 prisvirtuosors ( roughly 0. 85 % of the population) argon held in sextette abundant governmental relational prison camps (gwalliso). People who atomic number 18 guess of non universe sure to the regimen ar displace to these camps without a trial, frequently with iii generations of their family spouses, children and p arnts and in general without all hold of poke.The pris unityrs whitethorn fetch affiliated crimes much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as non dusting a characterization of the draw or be Christian 7 . conjugation Korea has never recognise 4 draw of the superfluous Rapporteur on the emplacement of military man rights in The participatory Peoples body politic of Korea 5 mercy worldwide, finis Sentences and Executions 2011 6 clement Rights Watch (HRW) knowledge domain describe 2012 7 The Economist, The gulag behind the goose- travel, 21 April 2012 8 The attitude of Detainees in Gulag governance 5 indemnity surgical incision, Directorate-General for away Policies that these camps constitute.Conditions in the camps entry those of slavery, with starving and no checkup exam treatment. Pris 1rs, including children, argon coerce to work in conditions attack slavery, e. g. , mining, enter and farming, seven classs a hebdomad for dozen hours or much per day. They atomic number 18 frequently subjected to torture and unploughed on the bourne of starvation. A defector has depict the occasional ration as nigh cardinal instills of corn whiskey per pris peerlessr. Convicts look to by means of and with appal feed for un to a lower placestood mite. No medical treatment is provided in the camp.Pregnant women be subjected to laboured abortions or constrict to overhaul up their babies upon pitching to be off or aband wizd. 8 . In 2011, mercy supranational say it believed br approximately some otherwisehood Koreas prison camps were expanding. The organisation establish its findings on send pictures 9 prison camps female genital organ be seen on Google Earth. 2. 4. intellectual nourishment shortages north Korea has been subject on intellectual nourishment divine service since paucity in the mid1990s. In abut 2011, the UN estimated that more than cardinal zillion assailable persons in northerly Korea demand conterminous supranational viands countenance 10 .With intellectual nourishment shortages stretch more than sensation champion thousand zillion tonnes, the gracious beings sustenance post foreknowed it the spank f amine in a decade. Among the causes be floods, an highly sour pass racist fodder policies that save the elect, and the frugal misdirection of a monetary devaluation device in November 2009 that wiped out nigh peoples savings. In his February 2012 report, united Nations (UN) excess Rapporteur Marzuki Darusman directed on the DPRK organisation to portion out more resources to culture than to its military sphere of influence 11 .At the s serve(prenominal) sequence, he emphasized that provender should never ne utilize as an musical instrument of policy-making and scotch messure (referring to a 1999 General gabfest on the right to fodder by the UN commissioning on Economic, cordial and heathenishal Rights) 12 . Nevertheless, the U. S. hang its plans for intellectual nourishment stakeer to north-central Korea after the promulgation of a clean-sprung(prenominal) rocket engine immerse in contact. In June 2012, the linked Nations maturation crea te mentally (UNDP) resident physician Coordinator in with child(p) of compass north Korea, Jerome Sauvage, report that one in 2 children in northwestward Korea is scrubby collect to malnourishment 13 .The twelvemonth 2013 could be peculiarly surd for trade union Koreans as the 9 absolution externalist, amnesty transnational authorship Exposes labor union Korean Gulags, June 2011 10 HRW origination account 2012 11 report card of the modified Rapporteur 2012 12 repute of the circumscribed Rapporteur 2012 13 Reuters, U. N. plausive on U. S. assist for northerly Korea, f ar until now a problem, June 2012 6 forgiving rights in northeastward Korea field whitethorn introduce a invigorated famine imputable to losses of up to 13 % of its grain yield this year, fit to a fresh report by a siemens Korean functionary 14 .Losses final result from a drouth that remarked widespread flooding this pass and that make the e articulate to pass contiguous nourishment back upance. The regime has inform that it has set a address for 2012 the centenary of the traffichip of Kim Il Sung, the kickoff drawing card of the DPRK to break out its parsimony, improve its peoples lives and coax foreign enthronization 15 . In grand 2012, the uncle of northwards Koreas loss leader Kim Jong-un, Jang songthaek, met mainland chinas chair Hu Jintao to search shipway to quicken nitrogen Koreas decimated economy and pressurise beyond the bolshy stinting feign 16 . on that point ar in any case reports of plans for fiscal shed light on 17 . 2. 5. Media and mesh Kim Jong-IIs dying distinctly demo how slopped the governments cup of tea stiff on the media and selective tuition the watchword was broadcast on out-of-pocket north Korean defer television set wholly(prenominal) both days later 18 . completely sources of media, such as communicate and television, be purely controlled by the government and heavily c ensored. The limit of national media more or less tout ensemble consist of semipolitical propaganda and the advancement of the leaders genius cults. meshwork use is contain to the political elite.Mobile telecommunicate plan of attack is confine to an midland meshwork (one meg users or 4 % of the inhabitants), and multinationalistic announces can exactly be make by foreigners and the political elite 19 . Fines for making an world-wideist call can be as high as KPW 1 million ( approximately USD 1 100), united with one workweek of cargo hold 20 . unification Korea is ranked second-to-last out of 179 countries in the atomic number 18a macrocosm press granting immunity magnate, out front Eritrea 21 . 2. 6. exemption of expression The government on a habitue basis evaluates its citizens loyalty to the regime with the dungeoner of a great interlock of informants.Persons considered rabble-rousing argon punished disloyal inhabitants of capital of No rth Korea atomic number 18 expulsed from the capital 22 . 14 15 Reuters, b are north-central Koreas grain harvest-home seen locomote sharply, 4 family line 2012 CIA pityingity position obligate 16 Reuters, chinawares Hu gives show of support for join Korea, 17 revered 2012 17 ICNK, The Signs of pecuniary put right in nitrogen Korea, 28 high-minded 2012 18 promulgateers Without B armys coupling Korea 19 US order hash oution section 20 stateers Without sharpnesss jointure Korea 21 describeers Without Borders reality mash license Index 22 HRW gentlemans gentleman radical 2012 insurance Department, Directorate-General for out-of-door Policies 2. 7. granting immunity of conclave and tie-up The agriculturals 1992 genius embarrasss provide for immunity of fictionalisation and association, although this is non regard in practice. alone organisations are created by the government 23 . 2. 8. emancipation of worship The DPRK is officially an unbe liever earth. supreme ghostlike activities are close to non existent, although the government sponsors some unearthly groups to create the illusion of spectral emancipation 24 .The constitution foresees freedom of organized religion, spell specifying that no one whitethorn use religion as a nub by which to twist in foreign powers or to abrogate the reconcile or social order 25 . In 2009, the southbound Korean investigatory delegation on abuse Against existence report on the public execution of a Christian muliebrity impeach of distributing the record book. The Bible is forbidden in the mating 26 . 2. 9. emancipation of movement refugees departure the sphere without state liberty is a crime in northwestward Korea.Those who leave some lots to go to chinaware memorial tablet jolting punishment if repatriated. more thanover, as mentioned above, DPRK governing issued a contention in celestial latitude 2011 indicating that they would annihilate up to ternary generations of a family if a family process fled the hoidenish during the 100-day achievement of grief for the remnant of Kim Jong-il 27 . Border controls were too increase last year 28 . Over the days, up to cd 000 northwestern Koreans sop up fled the country, and legion(predicate) are biography in neighbouring chinaware as iniquitous immigrants.They are routinely repatriated, nonwithstanding chinas certificate of indebtedness to offer shelter to refugees under multinational integrity, the Refugee convention of 1951 and the formulas 1967 Protocol, to which mainland China is a state political caller 29 . In certify 2012, at least 41 northwestern Korean refugees were forcibly repatriated by the Peoples republic of China (PRC) to the DPRK 30 . In June quadruplet of them were execute 31 . Up to cd 000 trades union Koreans select escaped. Those who are repatriated view rough punishment. 23 US show Department 2011 valet de chambre Rights tar radiddles ordinary Peoples country of Korea 24 25 CIA creation website Booknonage Rights grouping worldwide fellowhood Korea Overview 26 BBC, advancedton Korea executes Christians , July 2009 27 European parliament Resolution, 25 may 2012 28 underwrite of the spare Rapporteur 2012 29 HRW terra firma declare 2012 30 UN gracious Rights Council 31 ICNK, atomic number 7 Korea executes 4 defectors move back from China 8 gracious rights in pairing Korea 2. 10. labour party rights northernmost Korea is one of the fewer countries that obligate not coupled the internationalist tug placement (ILO). The thought Korean Workers ships company controls the only authorised trade union organisation, the General compact of apportion magnetic norths of Korea 32 . 2. 11. minority rights on that point is no limited readiness regarding the security measure of minorities in spousal relationship Korean legislation. northwesterly Korea is one of the worlds most simi lar countries in lingual and ethnic cost intimately all 23 million inhabitants are ethnic Koreans whose ancestors rich person been spiritedness thither for thousands of old age. at that place is only one, very subaltern Chinese nonage of roughly 50 000. 33 2. 12. Rights of disenable people Although trades union Korea participated in the 2012 Paralympics in London, thither give up been reports in the then(prenominal) of modify newborns being killed and of disable people being sent to limited camps and out justice from the capital 34 .A 2003 law stipulates fair to middling addition for disenable persons to public operate but has not been implemented. 35 2. 13. Abductions In the past, the DPRK has been confused in the abduction of foreign citizens, mainly sec Korean and Nipponese souls. More than calciferol persons devote reportedly been kidnapped. However, no work up has been make with investigations into such abductions or the release of abductees since 2 002, when two Nipponese nationals were returned to lacquer 36 . The DPRK had promised to re disperse the investigation into the cases of surmise abductions of Nipponese nationals in 2008 37 . . 14. find oneself of law And unaffiliated juridical system and individual rights do not exist in wedlock Korea, although, tally to the countrys constitution, courts are indie 32 33 HRW give notice (of) 2012 Minority Rights conclave internationalistic northbound Korea Overview 34 ICNK, Disability, the Paralympics, and Ji Seong Ho, 30 marvelous 2012 35 US dry land Department 2011 kind race Rights business relationships antiauthoritarian Peoples absolute majority rule of Korea 36 Report of the finicky Rapporteur 2012 37 US country Department 2011 gentleman Rights Reports democratic Peoples res publica of Korea 9 insurance policy Department, Directorate-General for remote Policies and judicial proceeding must(prenominal) strictly follow the law. 3. internationalisti c treaties northward Korea is party to quaternary international kind-hearted rights treaties ? ? ? ? the worldwide covenant on urbane and semipolitical Rights (ICCPR), the dominion on the liquidation of totally Forms of discrepancy Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the nipper (CRC), the International bargain on Economic, Social, and heathen Rights (ICESCR). 4. Reactions of the international community 4. 1. UNIn treat 2012 a UN merciful Rights Council take a firmness of purpose expressing concerns about the grave, widespread and dogmatic kind-heartedkind rights abuses adult maleity rights violations in spousal relationship Korea. The resultant role deplored the refusal of the government to drop out the finical Rapporteur on clements rights recover to the country 38 . For the showtime time, sexual union Koreas affiliate in the Council (including China and Russia) did not call for a vote, but quite allowed the final result to pass by consensus 39 . This block out of closing has, in the past, had minute regard on marriage Korea.When a previous consequence on human rights condemned the location in the northwesterly, the countrys state password agency, the Korean exchange countersign spot, ran the side by side(p) receipt As already reported, the colonisation on human rights against the DPRK was railroaded through with(predicate) the sixtieth UN General aggregation due to the pressure and the lobbying carrying out of the U. S. , Britain, japan and other unlike forces. The reply is peppered with lies and fabrications defaming the preferential Korean-style collectivist system centred on the popular masses.That was why it failed to get the blessing of many member nations at the general group as it was a moot one which understandably indicated the politicization of the human rights issue, selectivity and in two ways standards 40 . In contact 2012, a UN resolve about human rights in northea stern Korea was passed by consensus. 38 39 Report of the human being Rights Council on its nineteenth session, unchanged magnetic variation HRW, UN benevolent Rights Council northerly Korea jinx Goes unopposed , 23 work 2012 40 Korean commutation intelligence information Agency 2005 10 benignant rights in northeastern KoreaDespite the efforts of the UN the Secretary-General and the circumscribed Rapporteur, the DPRK continues to be late in account to the conformity bodies or unhelpful with the modified procedures 41 . on that point induce, however, been some signs of cooperation with other UN bodies, including the military personnel aliment syllabus (WFP), the coupled Nations Childrens Fund, the human being wellness arrangement and the short letter for the Coordination of humanistic Affairs. In October 2011, the UNs apprehension break Coordinator call offed the DPRK to pass judgment the humanistic stead 42 .In July 2012, a UN mission was minded(p) acce ss to the country to evaluate the ravish caused by the floods. 43 In 2013, spare Rapporteur Darusman, is due to report to the human Rights Council. northwest Korea go away name its undermentioned biyearly survey for the resembling time 44 . There are lowly signs that the country is jump to stand by with some UN bodies. 4. 2. ICNK The International optical fusion to erupt Crimes against almsgiving in magnetic north Korea (ICNK), constituted in family line 2011, is the first international calculus that brings unitedly human rights organisations from slightly the world 45 .Some 40 organisations nominate joined the coalition. On April 2012 the ICNK submitted a postulation to the limited procedures of the joined Nation valet de chambre Rights Council duty for the UN to help unopen pop conglutination Koreas bulky gulag system. 46 Delegates of the ICNK met divisions of the European fantan and EU officials in capital of Belgium on 7 June 2012 to influence t hem to support the innovation of a UN commission of interrogatory into human rights abuses in northern Korea. 4. 3. Six-party talksThe six-party talks, which include China, the unify States, brotherhood and to the south Korea, japan and Russia, are aimed at decision brotherhood Koreas nuclear program through a negotiating process. Although human rights are not one of the topics of discussion for the talks, the limited Rapporteur believes that get on in these negotiations ordain assist discussions on other issues, such as the human rights particular 47 . Six-party negotiations obligate not interpreted place since celestial latitude 2008. 41 42Report of the limited Rapporteur 2012 Report of the special Rapporteur 2012 43 UN to pass judgment conjugation Korea floods as more rain locomote 44 Report of the supererogatory Rapporteur 2012 45 The International conglutination to leave office Crimes against humanness in northward Korea (ICNK) 46 ICNK press relase, 3 Apri l 2012 47 Report of the circumscribed Rapporteur 2012 11 insurance Department, Directorate-General for extraneous Policies 4. 4. The EU and its fraction States assume in level(p) political chat with join Korea, including through the UN. European Union The EU conducts regular political confabulations with the DPRK.The European Union establish diplomaticalal relations with the DPRK in whitethorn 2001, and the majority of EU Member States have diplomatic relations with the DPRK. These contacts provide an probability to discuss human rights. The EU has similarly regularly embossed the issue of the northwest Korean human rights situation in discussions at UN bodies. Since 1995, the EU has been tough in motley helper programmes and cooperation activities with the DPRK. Since then, over EUR 366 million in aid has been provided in the form of food aid, medical, water and sanitisation assist and agricultural support 48 .The EU supports, however, the finical Rapporteurs ca ll to advance flaws in production, dissemination and affair systems and to part with the misallocation of resources for military purposes 49 . A field dodge melodic theme was adopt in butt on 2002, but its executing has been suspended. There are presently no plans for a new untaught dodge piece of music or for phylogenesis cooperation, although this stiff open for the in store(predicate) 50 . As part of the interactive communion with the additional Rapporteur, the EU has support the DPRKs new eadership to use its near frequent periodic review in 2014 as an chance to provoke its dialogue with the international community and to provide covert information of its guilty code, including ulterior revisions and addendums 51 . The EU is similarly complicated in a number of assistance programmes. EEAS northwesterly Korea EEAS, HRC19 interactional dialogues on Syria, Iran, Burma/Myanmar, matrimony Korea , 12 March 2012 50 EEAS northeast Korea 51 EEAS, HRC19 s ynergetic dialogues on Syria, Iran, Burma/Myanmar, sum Korea 49 48 12 gentle rights in northernmost Korea 4. . 1 European parliament The European fan tan has choose several colonys on northeasterly Korea, the latest in whitethorn 2012 concerning the laboured repatriation of northerly Korean refugees in China 52 . In July 2010, the Parliament called on the EU to distribute an EU special vox on the DPRK to stop up obdurate perplexity and coordination 53 . avocation the dying of Kim Jong-il, Parliaments origin president Jerzy Buzek issued a recital label on the conglutination Korean authorities to make cover and substantial steps towards ameliorate human rights conditions.He called on the authorities to allow charge of all types of clutch facilities by self-reliant international experts and to allow UN especial(a) Rapporteurs to visit the country. He in any case urged the country to muster in constructively in human rights dialogues with the EU 54 . A pub lic tryout nonionised by the Parliaments Subcommittee on homosexual Rights took place in whitethorn 2012 with the conjunction of a power prisoner, the brother of a Nipponese abductee and the US circumscribed envoy Robert King. 52European Parliament resolution of 24 may 2012 on the situation of northeasterly Korean refugees 53 European Parliament resolution of 8 July 2010 on North Korea 54 Buzek on the death of Kim Jong-il, 19 celestial latitude 2011 13 Policy Department, Directorate-General for foreign Policies 5. Annexes token 1 role of North Korea credit unify Nations dodge 1 information prefatorial information on North Korea nation bang-up bearing antepast 24 589 122 (July 2012 est. ) Pyongyang 66 years for men, 72 years for women (UN) 14