Statement on the June 12 North Korea-United States summit
On June 12, 2018, the North Korea-United States summit was held, and the two leaders signed a joint statement. However, there is no wording of "human rights" in this joint statement, and we cannot find any clue to stop dire repression against human rights in North Korea. Besides, in the form of security guarantees and economic cooperation, a move to support the fear regime of Kim Jong-un is being created.
As long as political prison camps exist, there never comes any "peaceful" life for the people of North Korea. Therefore, we cannot evaluate this joint statement as to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
In the first place, the present move to start dialogue between North Korea and the United States, with the "denuclearization" at the top priority in negotiation task, was in line with the strategy of the Kim Jong-un administration. Creating a crisis by military provocation with nuclear weapons and missiles, thus concentrating the world's attention on "denuclearization", and then engaging in dialogue; these were the consistent series of tactics. As a result, Kim Jong-un administration succeeded in diverting the world's eyes from the human rights problems, and also in gaining political and economic resources for maintaining its political system.
Of course, it does not necessarily mean that dialogue itself is erroneous. Through negotiations, there can be chances to force the Kim Jong-un administration to commit to improve the human rights situation. However, what the Trump administration actually did was to join hands with the Kim Jong-un administration to exclude the human rights issue, in order to conclude the agreement and show off its "success".
As long as the current political system in North Korea persists, "denuclearization" will be only a spurious one. Under the system where information is totally controlled, it is easy to continue its nuclear development secretly. As we have frequently appealed, the nuclear development in North Korea has been built on the people's enormous sacrifice, including forced labor and elimination of political prisoners at nuclear and missile facilities. If North Korean people have freedom of speech, such a nuclear development is absolutely impossible.
Therefore, realization of human rights is a prerequisite for denuclearization, and human rights issue should be the top priority. It should be a dangerous mistake to think, putting human rights issue aside, that "denuclearization" is the top priority. We request the course correction not only to the Trump administration but also to media and citizens as well.
It is an urgent task to realize human rights in North Korea so as not to bring to the "denuclearization" process an end of a mere political maneuver. We appeal that not only nuclear inspection but also inspections on political prison camps should be carried out. We call on here again to the international community that we should work together to abolish political prison camps, the biggest obstacle to human rights progress in North Korea.
It should not be justified in the name of "the principle of non-interference" to pay respect to the "sovereignty" of the dictator, and to leave the voiceless people to their fates. There is no border in human rights. It is time now for the international community to boldly interfere with the tyranny, by the principle of the "Responsibility to Protect".
NO FENCE June 13, 2018
NO FENCE
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