EU submits draft resolution on N. Korea rights record to U.N

NEW YORK, Nov. 8 Kyodo

A European Union-sponsored draft resolution that addresses North Korea's poor human rights record was introduced Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly.

The draft cites the abduction of foreign nationals in past decades as part of North Korea's ''systematic, widespread and grave violations'' of human rights.

This is the first time that a draft resolution criticizing North Korea over the abductions has been presented to the General Assembly. Similar resolutions have been adopted annually since 2003 by the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

The European Union referred North Korea to the U.N. General Assembly as North Korea has not complied with the U.N. Human Rights Commission's resolutions and has not allowed U.N. representatives to enter country to carry out an investigation of the reported abuses.

''The continued noncompliance by the government of (North Korea) with the provisions of these resolutions requires that the General Assembly address this issue,'' said Adam Thomson, Britain's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

A vote on the resolution is expected next week. The measure requires a simple majority of the 191-member world body to be adopted.

Pak Tok Hun, a North Korean Foreign Ministry official who attended the session, criticized the draft resolution, calling the move ''politically motivated.''

In denouncing the draft resolution, Pak said the United States, Britain and Japan ''perpetuated a racial war and massacre against other countries for centuries and refused to apologize and pay reparations for their crimes against humanity.''

The European Union also presented a draft resolution with sponsorship from more than 35 countries on the human rights situation in Myanmar.

Of key concern is the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, remains under house arrest and that thousands of others are imprisoned.

The draft resolution also identifies concerns over ''the ongoing systematic violation of the human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, of the people of Myanmar.''

Canada presented a draft resolution on Iran, highlighting a lack of human rights ranging from the denial of basic freedoms to inhumane treatment and punishment.

The resolution expressed concern about the ''continuing harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, nongovernmental organizations, political opponents, religious dissenters, political reformers, journalists, parliamentarians, students, clerics, academics and Web bloggers.''

Other draft resolutions were also presented that detailed the human rights situations in other countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Turkmenistan.

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