UN report on NK abuses

[Minskaya]

'Abundant evidence' of crimes against humanity in North Korea, panel says
February 18, 2014

A stunning catalog of torture and the widespread abuse of even the weakest of North Koreans reveal a portrait of a brutal state "that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world," a United Nations panel reported Monday. North Korean leaders employ murder, torture, slavery, sexual violence, mass starvation and other abuses as tools to prop up the state and terrorize "the population into submission," the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights (COI) in North Korea said in its report. The commission said it would refer its findings to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible prosecution. It also sent a letter warning North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he could face prosecution for crimes against humanity, and said other options include establishing of an ad hoc tribunal by the United Nations.

The almost yearlong investigation traced the abuses directly to the highest levels of the North Korean government while simultaneously blaming world leaders for sitting on their hands amid untold agony. The U.N. panel released its 400-page report after hearing from more than 320 witnesses in public hearings and private interviews. North Korea is a state, it concluded, "that does not content itself with ensuring the authoritarian rule of a small group of people, but seeks to dominate every aspect of its citizens' lives and terrorizes them from within."

Even before the report's release, China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and staunch ally of North Korea, has said it would not to allow human rights charges to proceed to the ICC.

Source: CNN

The allegations have now been documented.

Note: Webpage of the official report.

[Bigfella]

Fine work from one of Australia's finest ever jurists - Justice Michael Kirby. A man of towering intellect & tremendous compassion who, ironically, was once spied on by ASIO for his left wing beliefs (ASIO thought anyone to the right of Goldwater was a communist). It is too much to hope that this will achieve much in the short term, but simply having this documented & publicized is a positive thing.

[Officer of Engineers]

Another useless paper going nowhere to give some UN suits a paycheque for doing nothing. Frankly we don't need Australian justices telling us what South Korean and Chinese intelligence have been telling us for decades. And frankly, South Korean and Chinese intelligence have more authority in this mess than any Australian justices.

The Chinese moved two armies into place. The South Koreans are poised to march to Kim's palace. The UN is going to do diddly squat.

[Bigfella]

Another useless paper going nowhere to give some UN suits a paycheque for doing nothing. Frankly we don't need Australian justices telling us what South Korean and Chinese intelligence have been telling us for decades. And frankly, South Korean and Chinese intelligence have more authority in this mess than any Australian justices.

The Chinese moved two armies into place. The South Koreans are poised to march to Kim's palace. The UN is going to do diddly squat.

I'll bet this report has already received more worldwide public attention than any/all of those sources have outside a very narrow readership - of whom you are one. It probably won't do any good, but saying noting would definitely have done no good.

[Officer of Engineers]

I'll bet this report has already received more worldwide public attention than any/all of those sources have outside a very narrow readership - of whom you are one.

Like KJU cares.

It probably won't do any good, but saying noting would definitely have done no good.

KJU, however, does care about the three armies sitting on his borders.

In the final analysis, it's a feel good exercise for those wearing UN suits. It does nothing and it will do nothing. Never has. Never will. It's a big fat paycheque for those justices but does squat all to those suffering under KJU.

[Minskaya]

In the final analysis, it's a feel good exercise for those wearing UN suits. It does nothing and it will do nothing.

The report is basically an informational rather than a results-oriented endeavor. Expectations aside, educating the greater public about the KJU regime always goes in the plus column.

[Officer of Engineers]

The report is basically an informational rather than a results-oriented endeavor.

Then it is also a damned make work paycheque for bureaucrats and the justices. No one went into North Korea to gather evidence and it is restricted to testimonies of defectees and open sourced non-sworn intel. It is worthless as legal evidence.

Expectations aside, educating the greater public about the KJU regime always goes in the plus column.

And you've got Denis Rodman who makes a mockery of this report.

It's a paycheque. Nothing more.

[sated buddha]

Colonel, why does the West not intervene in North Korea? I have read you saying that their nuclear deterrent is shambolic. Then what is the waiting for? Is it only because of China?

[Officer of Engineers]

26 million beggars on the streets of Seoul.

[sated buddha]

26 million beggars on the streets of Seoul.

A wall, barbed wire, land mines? A militarily enforced quarantine?

[Officer of Engineers]

How? You need to keep the roads open to keep the supplies flowing north to support the armies marching north.

[sated buddha]

How? You need to keep the roads open to keep the supplies flowing north to support the armies marching north.

Would China help with a pincer? I did not realize this was full on invasion we were talking about that would be needed to stop this. Off shore bombardment and special forces is what I was thinking of.

Am asking you as a military man but would it not be possible to leave only certain ingress egress points open (and heavily defended so that they are not swamped), and mine/wire/machine gun nest the rest of the border?

[Bigfella]

Colonel, why does the West not intervene in North Korea? I have read you saying that their nuclear deterrent is shambolic. Then what is the waiting for? Is it only because of China?

How many Indians are you prepared to kill to intervene successfully in Nth Korea? How many Sth Koreans? China or no, the price in blood for removing the Kim family is steeper than anyone wants to pay.

However, if India is interested we will cheer enthusiastically. As part of 'the West' we have volunteered for over a dozen wars, military operations or peacekeeping operations since 1900. We're taking a break, but don't feel you have to.

[sated buddha]

How many Indians are you prepared to kill to intervene successfully in Nth Korea? How many Sth Koreans? China or no, the price in blood for removing the Kim family is steeper than anyone wants to pay.

Hmmmm ..... so the price was justified in other spheres where the West did intervene, but not in North Korea.

After all, the West may be taking a break now, but the Kim family has been doing its stuff for some time now, and not unnoticed either.

Can you explain the difference to me? I'm not getting it.

[Officer of Engineers]

Would China help with a pincer? I did not realize this was full on invasion we were talking about that would be needed to stop this. Off shore bombardment and special forces is what I was thinking of.

And give KJU time and space to mount his nukes on a terror strike?

Am asking you as a military man but would it not be possible to leave only certain ingress egress points open (and heavily defended so that they are not swamped), and mine/wire/machine gun nest the rest of the border?

A large part of the DMZ is heavily reliant on terrain to stop armour and truck movements: translation, easy for foot power to penetrate.

You can block the roads. You can't seal the borders.