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The government has decided to abstain from voting on a UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) resolution condemning violations of human rights in North Korea, it was learned from government sources on Thursday.
The resolution expresses concern about human rights abuses in the Stalinist country such as concentration camps for political prisoners. It calls on Pyongyang to ratify the Convention Against Torture and guarantee that the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea is allowed to operate freely. The special rapporteur was created by last year¡¯s resolution.
The European Union is again putting a North Korea resolution up for a vote saying the human rights situation did not improve last year.
"Given the ongoing nuclear negotiations and the special character of intra-Korean relations, which are moving in the direction of reconciliation and cooperation, we feel there is no need to provoke the North by voting on the resolution," officials said. The government walked out of a vote in 2003 and abstained last year.
Last year's resolution passed by a vote of 29 in favor, eight against and 16 abstentions.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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