Japan backs new UN inquest into North Korea human rights abuses

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay calls North Korea‘s situation “one of the worst – but least understood and reported – human rights situations in the world…” This is the thinking behind the decision to form a new UN inquiry mechanism on human rights violations in North Korea. And Japan has officially thrown its support behind this decision.

At the meeting of the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue with all members of the Cabinet on January 25, Japan has stated its goal to work with other governments in establishing a new inquiry mechanism that will conduct in-depth investigation into the human rights violations being committed by the North Korean government against its citizens and foreign nationals as well. The proposal will be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that will start in February.

According to Kanae Doi, Japan director at Human Rights Watch, this is a big step in shedding light into the various cases of human rights abuses that the North Korean government has not allowed to come out. The citizens are starved and denied of their civil and political rights. Education, health and even work are discriminately given to those who are most loyal to the party. The estimated 200,000 people detained in political prison camps experience daily starvation, torture, extrajudicial executions, slave labor, sexual abuse, and rape. The illegal abductions of foreigners, including several Japanese citizens, will also be investigated. In their March 2013 session, the UNHRC will closely examine the situation and adopt a resolution on North Korea.

“Denouncing North Korea’s abysmal human rights record should be a global priority,” Doi added.

(2013-01-29/japandailypress)