North Korea official at UN mentions its labour camps
9 Oct 2014 6:52 AM IST
A North Korean official publicly acknowledged to the international community the existence of his country’s ‘reform through labour’ camps on Tuesday, a mention that appeared to come in response to a highly critical UN human rights report earlier this year.
Diplomats for the reclusive, impoverished country also told reporters that a top North Korea official has visited the headquarters of the European Union and expressed interest in dialogue, with discussions on human rights expected next year. North Korea’s deputy UN ambassador Ri Tong Il said the secretary of his country’s ruling Workers’ Party had visited the EU, and that ‘we are expecting end of this year to open political dialogue between the two sides.’ The human rights dialogue would follow.
In Brussels, an EU official confirmed a recent North Korea meeting with the EU’s top human rights official, Stavros Lambrinidis, but said any dialogue currently planned is limited to rights issues. Choe Myong Nam, a North Korean foreign ministry official in charge of UN affairs and human rights issues, said at a briefing with reporters that his country has no prison camps and, in practice, ‘no prison, things like that.’
Diplomats for the reclusive, impoverished country also told reporters that a top North Korea official has visited the headquarters of the European Union and expressed interest in dialogue, with discussions on human rights expected next year. North Korea’s deputy UN ambassador Ri Tong Il said the secretary of his country’s ruling Workers’ Party had visited the EU, and that ‘we are expecting end of this year to open political dialogue between the two sides.’ The human rights dialogue would follow.
In Brussels, an EU official confirmed a recent North Korea meeting with the EU’s top human rights official, Stavros Lambrinidis, but said any dialogue currently planned is limited to rights issues. Choe Myong Nam, a North Korean foreign ministry official in charge of UN affairs and human rights issues, said at a briefing with reporters that his country has no prison camps and, in practice, ‘no prison, things like that.’
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