Press Statement of DPRK Permanent Mission to UN

Pyongyang, November 15 (KCNA) -- The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations issued the following press statement with regard to the forced adoption of the "draft resolution" on human rights situation in the DPRK (A/C.3/72/L.40) submitted by the European Union (EU) and Japan at the Third Committee of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly on November 14, 2017:

The DPRK Permanent Mission to the UN categorically rejects the "resolution".

The "resolution" represents a product of the political and military confrontation, plot and conspiracy of the United States and other forces hostile to the DPRK as well as the extreme manifestation of politicization, selectivity and double standards of human rights. It has nothing to do for genuine promotion and protection of human rights.

It repeats the contents of the "report of COI" which are full of lies, fabrications, plots and frauds concocted by the U.S. and other hostile forces through "defectors" who are criminals and human scum. It also pursues their heinous political purpose to overthrow our state and social system.

Now the U.S. and its vassal forces are more desperate in their "human rights" racket against the DPRK, while resorting to the unprecedented military threat and blackmail, sanctions and pressure against it.

Recently in the U.S., a "report on human rights abuses in north Korea and inspection of them" was submitted to the Congress. The 3rd "sanctions step for tackling the human rights performance in north Korea" was made public to include institutions and individuals of the DPRK in the "special sanctions list". The U.S. Congress orchestrated the anti-DPRK farce by letting betes noires make "testimonies" about "human rights abuses" in the DPRK at a hearing of the International Relations Committee of the Lower House.

The sanctions and pressure of the U.S. have the extremely vicious and barbarous phase in its attempt to violate the rights to survival and development of our State and people, destroy the modern civilization and turn the world back into a dark mediaeval age.

The indiscriminate blockade is being imposed to the DPRK under the pretext of implementing the "sanctions resolutions" cutting the delivery of medical equipment and medicine for treatment and health of patients, disabled persons and mothers and children and creating obstacles to the production of educational equipment and nutritional food for children.

It also causes the abnormal situation whereby most of the aid activities of international humanitarian organizations which worked in the DPRK for over 20 years have been frustrated or reduced.

These barbaric sanctions of the U.S. are a despicable violation of human rights and a genocide infringing upon the humanitarian laws and international human rights instruments including the Convention on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

South Korea, which takes the lead in the U.S.-led anti-DPRK "human rights" racket, as well as the EU and Japan, the main sponsors of the draft "resolution" are actually not qualified to talk about others' human rights issues due to their record of so many extra large crimes against humanity.

The U.S. and other Western countries chant human rights and democracy in front of the world. But at their back, they break the UN Charter and human rights instruments desperately as these are contrary to their own interests.

The United Nations should give priority to a discussion on their human rights violations and refer the criminals concerned to a court of justice.

It is the consistent policy of the DPRK government to continue protection and promotion of the rights of the popular masses with full responsibility.

Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the U.S. and other hostile forces, the DPRK government concentrates all its efforts on improving the people's standard of living and providing them with a better future.

It is the stark reality of the DPRK that such advantageous policies for the popular masses as universal free medical care, free education, free housing and gender equality continue to take effect and that all the people fully exercise and enjoy their rights in all sectors of social life.

Our people are boundlessly proud of their socialist system selected, consolidated and developed by their own will and also of their genuine system protecting and promoting the human rights which capitalism can neither have nor imitate.

The DPRK neither recognizes nor accepts the anti-DPRK "resolutions" railroaded through the Human Right Council and the Third Committee of the UNGA, as in the past.

The DPRK hopes for sincere dialogue and cooperation for genuine promotion and protection of human rights in the international human rights field, but will strongly respond to the end the confrontation and pressure to stifle our system. -0-