North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s regime faced accusation of human rights violation, including rape, torture and forced labor, after a United Nations group of experts was assigned to scrutinize the reclusive country’s actions. The experts submitted their assessments Monday in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, ahead of the 34th regular session of the Human Rights Council, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 27.
The experts, who worked to identify legal ways to penalize Pyongyang, proposed that the violations of human rights by North Korea continue to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The experts raised “serious concern” over North Korea’s crimes against humanity, adding that these crimes should not go unpunished.
The report also proposed the establishment of a special international tribunal to tackle North Korea’s human rights violations, for which the country earlier faced several sanctions under the Obama administration. The experts have dismissed the idea of a “mixed court” system — a North Korea-appointed judge and a U.N.-appointed justice presiding over the cases together, UPI reported, citing the Voice of America.
The Human Rights Watch released a statement earlier this month highlighting North Korea’s alleged exploitation of school children forcing them to work. The report was submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
“North Korea’s common use of forced labor is bad enough, but it’s wholly inexcusable when children are exploited,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director, said in a statement. “In destroying the lives of children, the ruling Kim family shows just how low it’s prepared to go to sustain political and economic power. For many children, forced labor is sadly a normal hazard in everyday life.”
The evaluation comes amid reports that North Korea could begin talks with the U.S. to initiate a deal with the Trump administration amid tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations, the Washington Post reported Sunday, adding that the talks are still in the planning stages.
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