North Korea
Under the rule of Kim Jong-Un, North Korea remains among the world’s most repressive countries. The government sharply curtails all basic liberties, including freedom of expression, religion and conscience, assembly, and association. It prohibits political opposition, independent media, civil society, or trade unions. A 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry found that the government committed gross, systematic and widespread rights abuses, including extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions, and other sexual violence. North Korea operates secretive prison camps where perceived opponents of the government are sent to face torture, starvation rations, and forced labor. Fear of collective punishment is used to silence dissent.
Due to the border closures and travel restrictions put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, the country became more isolated than ever, with authorities intensifying already tight restrictions on communication with the outside world.
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AsiaThank you to the committee for their sustained focus on human rights issues on the Korean peninsula. It is a topic that always deserves more attention.
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AsiaOn behalf of 11 non-governmental organizations and coalitions, we are writing to urge you to re-prioritize human rights in the context of future policy and negotiations involving North Korea. In the context of security and weapons counter-proliferation strategies, the freedom, health, and well-being of the 25 million people of North Korea is too often relegated to a distant tertiary status.
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The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement
Annex 22-B: A Missed Opportunity on Workers’ Rights in North Korea
News
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North Korea: US Should Refocus on Rights Concerns
Groups Urge Biden to Incorporate Human Rights into Security Negotiations
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Hearing on Civil and Political Rights in the Republic of Korea: Implications for Human Rights on the Peninsula
Testimony of John Sifton to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
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North Korea in Crisis: Food Shortages and Information Lockdown
It is vitally important for the world to remember the people of North Korea, not just its nuclear weapons.
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UN Finds Torture, Forced Labor Still Rampant in North Korean Prisons
UN Human Rights Council Should Press for Accountability
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North Korea: Covid-19 Intensified Systematic Repression
Kim Jong Un Uses Pandemic to Further Isolate Population
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South Korea: Promote Human Rights in North Korea
Coalition Urges President Moon to Take Stronger Stance on Abuses
