[N.Korea]U.S. 'very engaged' on N.K. human rights issue: official

Yonhap News ^ | 2018/05/30

[TigerLikesRooster]

U.S. 'very engaged' on N.K. human rights issue: official

WASHINGTON, May 29 (Yonhap) -- The United States is "very engaged" in efforts to end North Korea's human rights abuses as the two sides prepare for a potential meeting between their leaders next month, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.

Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, told reporters the issue is being discussed at the highest levels ahead of the summit expected for June 12 in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"In a sense it already has (been raised), with the three people that were released that the Secretary (of State Mike Pompeo) brought back," Brownback said at a press briefing announcing the release of the State Department's annual report on international religious freedom.

Pompeo flew to Pyongyang earlier this month to lay the groundwork for the summit, which, if held, would focus on dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program. On that visit, North Korea released three U.S. prisoners in a show of good faith.

"The president is right on point on North Korea. He's very engaged on this, as you know," Brownback said. "The secretary is very engaged on this. And I think they're raising all of these issues ... so this is a matter of discussion."

North Korea is accused of various human rights abuses, including torture, public executions and keeping an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners, some for religious reasons. Without addressing them, some say it will be difficult for the U.S. to normalize relations with North Korea regardless of any progress on the nuclear issue.

Pompeo told a congressional hearing last week that he raised the human rights issue when he met with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang.

"It will be part of the discussions as we move forward," he said, declining to answer whether it could be part of any denuclearization agreement with the regime. "We have broad outlines of what it is each nation is prepared to do."

The new report cites religious and human right groups as providing accounts of members of underground churches in North Korea being arrested, beaten, tortured and killed because of their religious beliefs.

"What we know is that you've got a gulag system operating in North Korea, and it's been a terrible situation for many years," Brownback said. "You can go on satellite, open-source satellite, and see some of these camps and the situation. You have people that have gotten out and have written about the situation in North Korea. We know it's very difficult and desperate, and particularly for people of faith."

The official noted that North Korea has remained a "Country of Particular Concern" for violations of religious freedom, a designation under U.S. law that was renewed for the 17th consecutive year in December.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[Gay State Conservative]

Far more important for him to get rid of his nukes.Let his own people fight for dignity...all we want is no nukes.

A cynical attitude? Yup! But we can't cure the world's ills.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Imagine they close one and we put the survivors on a hospital/cruise ship and take them to Pusan in South Korea.
Rinse and repeat.

[AmericanInTokyo]

On another front TLR:

미 중앙정보국(CIA)은 북한이 당장 핵무기를 포기할 가능성이 없다는 내용의 보고서를 제출했다고 NBC가 29일(현지 시각) 보도했다. 다만, 김정은 북한 노동당 위원장이 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령을 향한 선의의 제스처로 평양에 맥도날드 같은 패스트푸드 체인점을 열 수 있다고 전했다. CIA는 트럼프 대통령과 미 동맹국이 북한의 비핵화를 설득할 수 있는 근거가 명확하지 않다고 지적했다. 북한의 핵 출처 : http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2018/05/30/2018053000622.html

[AmericanInTokyo]

But we can and should bring up the issue of their concentration camps, in addition to other Americans they are holding in captivity such as David Sneddon from Utah, and the many many kidnapped Japanese held there, whom the President promised Prime Minister Abe he would talk about when meeting with Kim, and also made promises to the abductees' families face to face in the Oval Office. It's a done deal. Sorry.

[TigerLikesRooster]

If the summit happens, I wonder what would be in summit declaration. My guess is that NK is hoping the deal of decent upfront downpayment followed by dragged-out mortgage payment which is negotiable. Maybe this is what Kim Jong-un calls ‘creative diplomatic initiative.’

[TigerLikesRooster]

One possibility is that Kim is willing to release those hostages and kidnap victims while attempting to dodge any real denuclearization.

[mrsmith]

Kim has to drop the nuke and missile programs to meet UN sanctions. And drop support of terrorism, and other ills, to meet US sanctions.
There’s going to be a big deal made.
But in the end NK will follow the same path to develop as China Human rights will be no more respected than they are in China.
And anyone who criticizes is a racist...

[Gay State Conservative]

Yes,I've read stories about the Norks kidnapping Japanese citizens off the streets years ago.It certainly reasonable for us to insist that any such person be returned to Japan.

OTOH,I didn't realize that there were still Americans held there.

Basically it's reasonable for us to insist that any Westerner being held there be released (I'm including Japanese as "Westerners").

[AmericanInTokyo]

You’ll know it’s in trouble if the snacks on the conference table are “salami”

[AmericanInTokyo]

Kim Jong Un knew of, and likely countenanced, the torture of young Otto Warmbier, who later died quickly after release, of those same injuries from said torture.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yeah, N. Korean salami that is. Somebody should bring Kim Jong-un Piñata just in case.

[COBOL2Java]

LOL! No denuclearization, but Kim will let Trump order a Big Mac in Pyongyang. How generous of him.