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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, Washington¡¯s chief negotiator at six-party talks on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program, said Wednesday he will raise Pyongyang¡¯s human rights record with the country. North Korea warned Wednesday any mention of human rights at the talks could scupper negotiations.
Hill told the Chosun Ilbo Pyongyang must abide by international standards if it wants to rejoin the international community, and human rights were the most important element. He said this reflected the thinking of President George W. Bush and the State Department.
But Hill did not say whether he would officially raise the issue at the six-party talks scheduled to resume on July 26 or deal with it in bilateral meetings with the North. Another U.S high-ranking official on July 18 claimed Seoul, Washington and Tokyo had agreed to bring up human rights at the talks, but Seoul has denied this.
Hill said that he was disappointed by his discussions on North Korea¡¯s dismal rights record with the government or progressive civic groups in South Korea. The groups in particular focused too much on what they should not do rather than what they should, he said. Hill is on record as saying a progressive movement cannot survive long if it becomes estranged from human rights.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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