'저는 그들의 땅을 지키기 위하여 싸웠던 인디안들의 이야기를 기억합니다. 백인들이 그들의 신성한 숲에 도로를 만들기 위하여 나무들을 잘랐습니다. 매일밤 인디안들이 나가서 백인들이 만든 그 길을 해체하면 그 다음 날 백인들이 와서 도로를 다시 짓곤 했습니다. 한동안 그 것이 반복되었습니다. 그러던 어느날, 숲에서 가장 큰 나무가 백인들이 일할 동안 그들 머리 위로 떨어져 말과 마차들을 파괴하고 그들 중 몇몇을 죽였습니다. 그러자 백인들은 떠났고 결코 다시 오지 않았습니다….' (브루스 개그논)





For any updates on the struggle against the Jeju naval base, please go to savejejunow.org and facebook no naval base on Jeju. The facebook provides latest updates.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Text Fwd: UN Urges North Korea to Improve Human Rights

Korea Times
UN Urges North Korea to Improve Human Rights
12-20-2009 19:19
By Kim Sue-young, Staff Reporter

The United Nations has renewed its resolution urging North Korea to improve its human rights conditions, the foreign ministry said Sunday.

During the U.N. General Assembly in New York, 99 countries including South Korea, the United States and Japan endorsed the resolution, while 20 others, including China and Malaysia, voted against it, a ministry spokesman said. The remaining 63 countries abstained.

It is the fifth consecutive year the U.N. has issued the resolution calling on North Korea to make improvements in regard to human rights.

While not legally binding it offers grounds on which U.N. members can take measures against alleged rights violations.

The resolution, co-sponsored by 53 countries including South Korea, states that members have "very serious concerns at the persistence of continuing reports of systemic, widespread, and grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights" in the secretive state.

It also says that torture, public executions, forced labor and other inhumane punishments are rampant in the North.

The international organization has repeatedly urged North Korea to put an immediate end to its systemic, prevalent human rights violations and implement U.N. conventions.

North Korea has yet to issue its official response, but is expected to reject it as it has previously.

Pyongyang snubbed the resolution last year - its foreign ministry claimed through its official Korean Central News Agency that the resolution was full of "fabrications" and aimed at "stifling the nation."

Last year, in a change of position, South Korea voted for the resolution. During the previous administration, the South had abstained.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr


* Related blog

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/11/text-fwd-cescr-draws-grim-picture-of.html
Friday, November 13, 2009
Text Fwd: CESCR draws a grim picture of human rights in South Korea

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