ID :
63841
Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/63841
The shortlink copeid
Amnesty Int'l says N. Korea faces serious food shortage
SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- Amnesty International said Tuesday that North Korea
faces a deepening food crisis and also expressed concerns over South Korean
police using "excessive" force.
According to the global human rights watchdog's annual report for 2008, North
Korea's food production has dropped sharply and food imports have also declined.
"Long-distance telephone calls were reportedly blocked to prevent news of food
shortages from spreading," the report said.
Almost three quarters of North Korean households have reduced their food intake,
the report said, citing a survey by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and
Agriculture Organization.
One of the leading causes of malnutrition among North Korean children under the
age of five was diarrhea from increased consumption of wild foods, according to
the report.
"Despite the food shortage reaching critical levels, the government failed to
ensure minimum essential levels of food," it said.
"Due to strained relations, North Korea did not request assistance from South
Korea, one of the biggest donors of rice and fertilizer in previous years," said
the report, adding that thousands of North Koreans people crossed into China in
search of food and economic opportunities.
Inter-Korean relations have been deadlocked since conservative South Korean
President Lee Myung-bak took office early last year vowing to get tough on the
North's nuclear program.
Seoul has suspended food and fertilizer aid. The WFP says North Korea will be
short some 83,000 tons of rice this year.
Turning to South Korea, the report said riot police used excessive force in
dispersing largely peaceful protesters who were demonstrating against U.S. beef
imports last summer.
"There was heightened concern about freedom of expression, assembly, and
association of protesters, unionists, and journalists," the report said.
"The biggest concern is excessive use of police force and the freedom of
expression and assembly," said Kim Hee-jin, a director at Amnesty International's
Korea office, in assessing the developments this year.
"Police carry out comprehensive crackdowns on all rallies, worried about
violence, but there has been no punishment of police officers who used violence
against innocent civilians," Kim said.
The rights watchdog said that the arrest of the famed Internet pundit, widely
known by his pen name "Minerva," was also an encroachment on the freedom of
speech.
Park Dae-sung, 30, was arrested in early January and indicted on charges of
spreading on-line rumors about the government's economic and foreign exchange
policies. The prosecution accused him of causing financial losses to the country
through the rumors, but the court acquitted him in April.
"Freedom of expression and the right to assembly are basic rights of the people
and should be considered important and be widely protected," said Ko Eun-tae,
chief of the rights watchdog's Korea branch. "The South Korean government should
fully respect its citizens' freedom of speech."
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)
faces a deepening food crisis and also expressed concerns over South Korean
police using "excessive" force.
According to the global human rights watchdog's annual report for 2008, North
Korea's food production has dropped sharply and food imports have also declined.
"Long-distance telephone calls were reportedly blocked to prevent news of food
shortages from spreading," the report said.
Almost three quarters of North Korean households have reduced their food intake,
the report said, citing a survey by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and
Agriculture Organization.
One of the leading causes of malnutrition among North Korean children under the
age of five was diarrhea from increased consumption of wild foods, according to
the report.
"Despite the food shortage reaching critical levels, the government failed to
ensure minimum essential levels of food," it said.
"Due to strained relations, North Korea did not request assistance from South
Korea, one of the biggest donors of rice and fertilizer in previous years," said
the report, adding that thousands of North Koreans people crossed into China in
search of food and economic opportunities.
Inter-Korean relations have been deadlocked since conservative South Korean
President Lee Myung-bak took office early last year vowing to get tough on the
North's nuclear program.
Seoul has suspended food and fertilizer aid. The WFP says North Korea will be
short some 83,000 tons of rice this year.
Turning to South Korea, the report said riot police used excessive force in
dispersing largely peaceful protesters who were demonstrating against U.S. beef
imports last summer.
"There was heightened concern about freedom of expression, assembly, and
association of protesters, unionists, and journalists," the report said.
"The biggest concern is excessive use of police force and the freedom of
expression and assembly," said Kim Hee-jin, a director at Amnesty International's
Korea office, in assessing the developments this year.
"Police carry out comprehensive crackdowns on all rallies, worried about
violence, but there has been no punishment of police officers who used violence
against innocent civilians," Kim said.
The rights watchdog said that the arrest of the famed Internet pundit, widely
known by his pen name "Minerva," was also an encroachment on the freedom of
speech.
Park Dae-sung, 30, was arrested in early January and indicted on charges of
spreading on-line rumors about the government's economic and foreign exchange
policies. The prosecution accused him of causing financial losses to the country
through the rumors, but the court acquitted him in April.
"Freedom of expression and the right to assembly are basic rights of the people
and should be considered important and be widely protected," said Ko Eun-tae,
chief of the rights watchdog's Korea branch. "The South Korean government should
fully respect its citizens' freedom of speech."
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)