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Special Envoy Disappointed at Korea’s Abstention from U.N. Resolution

Special Envoy Disappointed at Korea’s Abstention from U.N. Resolution

Posted November. 30, 2007 03:09,   

한국어

- “I want to visit Pyongyang and engage in direct talks.”

The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, an NGO in the U.S., held a seminar in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to discuss legal approaches in improving human rights conditions in North Korea. However, discussants mainly focused on criticizing the lack of commitment on the issue by the Bush administration.

Some pointed out that Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea Jay Lefkowitz, appointed by the President following the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, has limits in carrying out his responsibilities. Peter Beck, the executive director of the Committee, even said, “He could be ‘missing in action.’”

Amid such criticism, Dong-A interviewed Special Envoy Jay Lefkowitz on Wednesday via telephone. Conscious of such a critical mood, he emphasized over and over again that human rights issues in North Korea will not be overlooked regardless of the North Korean nuclear crisis.

- The international community frowned upon South Korea’s decision to abstain from voting on a U.N. human rights resolution condemning North Korea`s human rights violations.

“I am very disappointed. The decision may send a misleading signal to the rest of the world that South Korea does not care about the adversities of their brothers and sisters in the North. The Participatory Government of President Roh Moo-hyun defended its decision saying that it does not want to jeopardize the latest improvements in inter-Korean relations. However, the resolution was not about the inter-Korean relationship. The government’s abstention is a disappointing move.”

- Many have also raised concerns that human rights issues have been pushed out of the spotlight by the Bush administration due to negotiations on North Korean nuclear issue in the Six-Party Talks.

“That is not true, although the nuclear issue does deserve the utmost priority as it is a clear threat to security. However, we must deal both concerns simultaneously. Once we reach an agreement on the nuclear issue, we should be able to trust the agreement. But, at the same time, we cannot trust a regime that treats its people like North Korea does. Therefore, North Korea needs to change if it wants to be trusted and this is why we need to bring up human rights issues whenever we can.”

- None of the 24-million-dollar annual budget earmarked to improve North Korean human rights conditions has yet been used.

“We were unable to use the budget since the administration and Congress had differing opinions regarding the budget. Nonetheless, it would be unrealistic to say that none of the budget has been used to help North Korean defectors. We have provided assistance to them, as well as to Radio Free Asia (RFA) so that North Korean people can be informed about what is going on in the world today. The total amount of the budget spent is increasing by the year.”

The total amount of support, which recently disclosed by the U.S. State Department, stood at 4 million dollars in 2006. In contrast, Christian Whiton, the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea, remarked on Nov. 12 in Hong Kong, “Despite the massive budget earmarked for the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, none of the funds were approved by Congress in the last three years.” His remarks may be somewhat controversial as it can be interpreted as criticizing career diplomats in the U.S. State Department who seem to place more importance on negotiations.

- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill recently said on an unofficial occasion that North Korean human rights issues will be certainly placed in the agenda beginning next January. Does this remark fall in line with your argument that human rights issues should be dealt alongside the nuclear issue?

“There is no doubt that the human rights issues must be firmly placed on the official agenda before the North Korean nuclear negotiations proceed to the next level. North Korean and the U.S. are both working to normalize relations in the long-term. So they can start by promoting people-to-people exchanges between students and artists, and cultural exchanges such as sending ballet and symphony orchestra to North Korea. However, we must remember that improving relations with North Korea will have its limits given how the regime treats its people.”

Special Envoy Jay Lefkowitz added at this point: “Some North Koreans are arrested because of their religious beliefs. The State Department regards it as a grave concern while collecting specific information on this matter.”

In September, 2007, the North Korean authorities announced that they arrested a spy who leaked information to foreign informers. In response, “Voice of Martyrs,” a U.S. support group for missionaries to North Korea, said earlier this month, “The arrested are nine Christians who reside in the northern part of North Korea.”

- The next six months will be a critical period in the nuclear negotiations including the talks on the North’s declaration of nuclear programs. What do you wish to achieve in the following six months?

“I want to urge North Korea to join the international community by engaging in direct talks regarding human rights issues. I want to visit Pyongyang and discuss the issues with my counterpart in person. I also want to extend a helping hand to helpless North Korean defectors together with our allies and friends in Northeast Asia. I will also urge China to respect international law regarding North Korean defectors, especially with the 2008 Beijing Olympics just one year away.”

When asked whether he received an invitation to Pyongyang, he replied, “No. I was invited to the Gaesong Industrial Complex last year, and that was it.”



srkim@donga.com