Darusman, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, emphasizes “Resolving the human rights issue in North Korea to achieve the unification of the Korean Peninsula”.
“Unification of South and North Korea is the unification of human rights”-- Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson.
Marzuki Darusman, UN Special Rapporteur
Darusman said on Dec. 11 that international societies were successful in discovering the reality of human rights in North Korea through the adoption of the resolution on human rights in North Korea by the United Nations. “Such resolution by UN and improvement of human rights in North Korea are extremely important historically in promoting the unification of the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
Darusman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who played a decisive role in the adoption of the UN resolution on human rights in the country by its Third Committee and passing of the resolution to the UN Security Council, gave a special lecture on the “Reality of Human Rights in North Korea and Roles of International Societies“ at the women’s conference of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) held at the JW Marriot Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia on Dec. 11. “The reality of human rights in North Korea as discovered by international societies should result in victory in terms of unifying the Korean Peninsula,” he stressed.
Darusman added that now is the time -- when the human rights issue of North Korea is passed to the UN Security Council – for international societies to play a decisive role in achieving the unification of the Korean Peninsula by making critical decisions on human rights in the country.
Appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 2010, he participated in the UN Commission of Inquiry, which prepared reports on the human rights status in North Korea for 1 year in 2013, to charge the top leader of North Korea before the International Criminal Court.
According to him, the UN Commission of Inquiry investigated and found the following: △ violation of the food rights of North Korean residents; △ political prisoner camps in North Korea; △ inhuman brutality of North Korean authorities; △ torture and groundless arrest and imprisonment, and; △ summary execution. Therefore, North Korea should assume criminal responsibility for the above according to international laws.
“The UN resolution states that North Korea should be held criminally liable for the human rights crimes it committed so far, and that international societies should intervene in the human rights issue in the country through dialogues with North Korea. North Korea cannot choose only one of the two but should be responsible for both,” Darusman added.
He concluded his special lecture by expressing firm belief that the UN Office of the Human Rights of North Korea in Seoul, South Korea would make great contributions to the further investigation on the human rights issues in North Korea.
Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC
“The unification of the two Koreas is the unification of human rights. Improving human rights in the North is the core subject for the life of North Koreans, their dignified living, and the smooth unification of the Korean Peninsula. I am certain that our strong will for upholding human rights in the North will result in the unification of the human rights of the South and North,” Hyun said in his keynote address during the conference
The joint meeting of the Executive and Standing Committees of NUAC unanimously passed the resolution urging the National Assembly of South Korea to legislate the Human Rights of North Korea Act. Such resolution by NUAC expresses the strong will of supporting the policy of the Republic of Korea regarding the human rights of North Korea and positive position of 20,000 NUAC members to improve human rights in the North.
Hyun, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC, Seung Eun-ho, Vice-chairperson of the ASEAN Region of NUAC, Park Dong-hui, head of the Southeast Asia Municipal Chapter, Cho Tae-yeong, Korean Ambassador to Indonesia, and 100 women members in Europe
After Darusman’s lecture, Kang Gyo-ja, member of the Executive Committee, gave a keynote address on “Peaceful Unification Made by Women,” and each municipal chapter in Asia and Europe presented the activities of the women members. The conference lasted three days from Dec. 10.
