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To ensure greater respect for human rights, North Korea should cut down on military spending and use the money to develop the economy, the United Nations has urged.
The UN asked neighboring countries to classify those who flee the Stalinist country to escape persecution from the government or because of the terrible living conditions as refugees and give them humanitarian assistance.
The UN¡¯s special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn, submitted the report on Monday (local time) to the General Assembly, which will debate the issue and decide whether to pass a resolution calling for human rights reforms in the North later this month.
"In retrospect, while there have been some constructive developments in North Korea in recent decades, there are a variety of discrepancies and transgressions -- several of an egregious nature -- in the implementation of human rights in the country," Muntarbhorn writes. He singled out specific problems in the areas of food, education, the right to life and violence against women.
"The general sentiment is that the situation in 2005 remains critical. There is a drastic shortfall of food produced in the country and possible humanitarian aid from outside," the report says. It calls for continued food aid but warns distribution must be carefully monitored.
The report points out that despite severe food shortages, North Korea increased defense spending to US$27.9 million in 2004. It urges the country to cut military spending and use the money to tackle the food crisis and other social problems.
The report says there is still plenty of evidence of torture, detention without trial, public executions and capital punishment for political dissidents. It singles out some particularly brutal cases including the killing of children whose mothers had escaped abroad but were captured and repatriated, in police detention centers and at an occupational training center.
The report also expressed concern about the lack of an independent judiciary, which makes the rule of law impossible, and urged Pyongyang to improve its judicial system.
Muntarbhorn, a Thai law professor, was appointed to the post in July last year by the UN Commission on Human Rights.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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