The International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), an alliance of over 40 human rights groups from around the world, today welcomed the report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, which concludes that the North Korean regime is committing crimes against humanity, and calls for a case to be referred to the International Criminal Court.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since September 2011, ICNK has been calling for justice and accountability for North Korea, campaigned for the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry, and now calls on the international community to act upon the inquiry\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission of Inquiry, established by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2013, concludes that \u201cunspeakable atrocities\u201d continue to be perpetrated against the North Korean people. \u201cThe gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world,\u201d the Commission notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission believes there are strong grounds for charges of crimes against humanity. \u201cThese crimes against humanity entail extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation,\u201d it concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the Commission believes that: \u201cThe unspeakable atrocities that are being committed against inmates of the kwanliso political prison camps resemble the horrors of camps that totalitarian States established during the twentieth century. The institutions and officials involved are not held accountable. Impunity reigns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission called for immediate action by the international community which \u201cmust accept its responsibility to protect the people of the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea from crimes against humanity, because the Government of the DPRK has manifestly failed to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Responding to the Commission\u2019s recommendations, ICNK intends to redouble its efforts to help bring an end to the suffering of the people of North Korea. ICNK believes that the Commission\u2019s findings demand an immediate response by the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court, and UN member states, and be strongly reflected in the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council resolution next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eunkyoung Kwon, a spokesperson from the ICNK Secretariat, said: \u201cThis report is a milestone in the international effort to bring freedom to the people of North Korea, and justice and accountability for a government that has indulged in cruel and grotesque treatment of its people. Now, it is time for the international community to act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Seoul: Eunkyoung Kwon, Open Radio for North Korea & Secretariat to the Coalition (Korean, English): +82-10-4508-8815 (mobile); or kekyoung@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Tokyo: Kanae Doi, Human Rights Watch (Japanese, English): 03-5282-5162; 090-2301-4372 (mobile); or doik@hrw.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In London: Benedict Rogers, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (English): +44-7919-030575; or ben@csw.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n