“U.S. Spent No Money on North Korean Human Rights Act”

The China Post Online reported yesterday that the U.S. federal budget earmarked to help North Koreans authorized through the North Korean Human Rights Acts has not been spent at all since 2004 when the act was passed.

Christian Whiton, deputy to the US special envoy on human rights in North Korea, visited Hong Kong on Monday. He said, “Millions of dollars earmarked by the U.S. government to help North Koreans are still tied up by red tape three years after they were first authorized.”

Under the North Korean Human Rights Act, which was passed in October 2004, about $24 million is set aside annually to support the improvement of North Korean’s human rights from 2004 through 2008. Of this, about $20 million is to help North Koreans fleeing their impoverished homeland and wandering in China and other countries, $2 million to be funneled into broadcasters, and another $2 million to finance the NGOs’ activities for the advocacy of human rights of North Koreans.

Mr. Whiton also said, “Even though Washington spent $4 million providing aid to North Korea and expanding its radio broadcasts into the North through UN and other relief agencies last year, it was not money assigned by this act.”