NORTH KOREA: The EU has accused North Korea of torture and political killings for the first time before the UN Commission on Human Rights.
The three-page resolution, presented to the UNCHR, is expected to be co-sponsored in coming days by the US, according to diplomats in Geneva.
The EU resolution expresses "deep concern at reports of systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights" in the communist state.
These included "torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment, public executions, the death penalty for political reasons, the existence of a large number of prison camps and the extensive use of forced labour and lack of respect of the rights of prisoners".
However a North Korean official in Geneva rejected the EU-US initiative, the first against his country in the Geneva forum's 57-year history.
"We very much reject the resolution . . . In my personal view, it could aggravate the situation on the Korean peninsula," said Mr Kim Song Chol.
In a bid to rally support at the 53-member forum, the EU has held closed-door talks with delegations including Australia, Canada, Japan and the US. Sponsors may sign on any time ahead of the vote set for April 16th.
Diplomatic sources said the US, which last week called North Korea a "hell on earth", is pushing for tougher language.
"It is a strong text seen from the perspective that this country has never before been under the commission's scrutiny," said one EU diplomat.
The finger-pointing came a day after the UN Security Council met to discuss North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons programme. It failed to issue a statement urging Pyongyang to fall into line because of opposition from China and Russia.
The North Korean nuclear crisis has grown since last year when Washington said Pyongyang had admitted having a secret nuclear plan. The Stalinist country says it is ready for war with the US, which insists it wants to solve the crisis by diplomatic means.
Human rights activists welcomed the EU initiative in Geneva. "It is about time that the commission dealt with an issue as serious as human rights violations in North Korea," Loubna Freih, of the New York-based group Human Rights Watch, said.
Japan is expected to back the resolution after ensuring that the EU text calls on North Korea to resolve "questions relating to the abduction of foreigners".
Seven EU states have voting rights in the commission this year. South Korea, also a member, awaits voting instructions from Seoul.
China is expected to support North Korea in the human rights debate. - (Reuters),