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The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July, after making a couple of revisions.
In the case of a bill that has been amended in the Senate, however, it must be returned to the House and be passed once again.
Since the leaderships of both the Republican and Democratic parties have already agreed upon the contents of the bill, however, allowing it to pass unanimously through the Senate and the House of Representatives, it has been forecasted that the bill would be passed once again by the House within the month and become law within the year, after being signed by the president.
Ahead of this, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed on July 21 the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 calling for great improvements in the human rights of North Korean citizens, including defectors.
The law, which was introduced by Rep. Jim Leach, was composed of กใ a first section calling for the expansion of human rights for North Korean citizens; กใ a second part calling for support for North Koreans living in distress; กใ a third part calling for protecting defectors.
The passing of the North Korean Human Rights Act by both the U.S. House and Senate means that the U.S. Congress and White House have adopted in earnest the issue of North Korea human rights.
With the European Union raising in earnest human rights as a pending issue in dialogue with the North Koreans, including during the recent visit by the British Foreign Office minister, the passing of the North Korean Human Rights Act could be expected to lend some gravity to pressure from the international community concerning the North Korean human rights issue.
The bill, which was first initiated as the North Korea Freedom Act and considered a dagger at North Korea's bosom as it was seen as a "Leading the Overthrow of the North Korean Regime Act," has had its aggressiveness watered-down over the year it has been in the legislature.
Accordingly, when the bill was passed Tuesday, core articles like the linkage between aid for North Korea and human rights were lightened into "congressional positions" rather than legally binding laws; some say that in the course of compromise, the bill now finds itself at the level of a parliamentary resolution.
The law reflects increased congressional and popular interest in North Korean human rights, as shown by a recent Washington Post editorial calling for the swift passing of the law.
With the dark shadow cast over U.S. society since Sept. 11, in no small part due to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development, there is heightened interest in applying pressure concerning human rights in the North.
Even granting that the bill has been considerably watered down into an act of symbolism, because the U.S. administration cannot ignore this opinion, it's clear it would raised the human rights issue with North Korea much more strongly than before.
The sudden revision and passing of the North Korean Human Rights Act, which was moored in the Senate after being passed by the House appears to have been so the law could be passed as quickly as possible by the end of the year through bipartisan unanimity.
Senate Republicans had decided to skip committee deliberations on the bill and send it directly to vote, but with Senate Democrats like Senate Foreign Relations Committee figure Sen. Joseph Biden raising objections to some of the bill's contents, it took some effort to reach bipartisan harmony on the bill.
The Korean Embassy in Washington said after the passing of the bill that Congress clearly stated it did not intent to overthrow North Korea or provoke an exodus of defectors. It also said it hoped that once the law went into effect, it would substantially contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and improvements in human rights in North Korea.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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