North Korea: people denied basic freedoms

The UN has taken steps to condemn the human rights situation in North Korea in a resolution recently passed.

The resolution “condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing and systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations” in North Korea including the “denial of the right of freedom of thought, conscience and religion”. It goes on to acknowledge that “the body of testimony and information received provides reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed”.

“The clear and unambiguous evidence of the wide range of crimes against humanity being committed in the DPRK, and the near certainty of command responsibility, demand an equally clear response… The blood and the tears and what is left of the dignity of the North Korean people cry out to us. We must act.”

Among the findings of the report is an almost complete denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the country. Christianity is considered a particularly severe threat, with the result that Christians are prohibited from practising their religion.

Read full report here