Thursday, February 09, 2006

Muntarbhorn Sounds Off

Vitit Muntarbhorn, UN Special Rapporteur for NK human rights, sounded off this week as he was in Korea and attending the Asian Human Rights Forum [AHRF]. He is one of my favorites in the NKHR world as he is often uncharacteristically outspoken for a UN official. This weeks topic? Making it clear where he stands on refugees:
"The international definition of refugees also covers those who don't leave the country of origin for persecution, but fear persecution upon return," he said.

"So you don't necessarily have to leave DPRK because of well- founded prosecution to become a refugee, but even if you didn't leave because of persecution, for example you left because of hunger but you fear persecution when sent back, you are also (a) refugee (from the) international perspective,"
Of course there is little the man can actually do given that NK will NEVER let him in for an inspection and the UN is almost as likely to ever try to do anything about it.

Muntarbhorn also moderated a session at the AHRF in which a handful of experts talked about issues mainly concerning human trafficking and the effects of famine. Here are some choice facts:
(Norma Kang Muico)said that about 40,000 North Korean children die of malnutrition and related diseases every year.

He said that North Korean women taking refuge in China are being sold to rural Chinese for 400-10,000 yuan [my note: 400 yuan= under $50].
There is also some good information on other issues that plague Asia in regards to human rights.

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