EXPERTON HUMAN RIGHTS IN DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA ENDS VISIT TO JAPAN

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 4 March (UN Information Service) -- The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn, issued the following statement in Tokyo on 3 March at the end of his visit to Japan which started on 24 February:

“In 2004 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights passed a resolution on the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and called for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur to examine the situation and to report to the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission accordingly.  Vitit Muntarbhorn, a Professor of Law from Bangkok, was appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“In October 2004 the Special Rapporteur made his initial statement concerning the mandate to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and his first full report will be submitted to the Commission in Geneva in March 2005.  The report covers key issues such as the right to food and the right to life, the right to security of the person (including the issue of ‘abductions’ or ‘enforced disappearances’), humane treatment, non-discrimination and access to justice, the right to freedom of movement and protection of persons linked with displacement, the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to education, the right to self-determination/political participation, access to information, and freedom of expression/belief/opinion, association and religion, and the rights of specific persons/groups:  women and children.  It contains a variety of recommendations to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to the world community to improve the promotion and protection of human rights in that country.

“In 2005 the Special Rapporteur was invited by the Government of Japan to examine the consequences of the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in relation to Japan, particularly the reported abductions of Japanese nationals by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  His visit to Japan took place between 24 February and 4 March 2005.  He was accompanied by an official of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank very warmly the Government and people of Japan for the hospitality and for the frank and open dialogue throughout his visit to the country.  He conveys his sincerest thanks to the UnitedNationsUniversity for coordinating the visit and to various non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations, embassies, and concerned individuals for their cooperation.  He was particularly pleased to meet the families of those affected by the abductions and conveys his deepest thanks and heartfelt sympathies to them in regard to their pain and suffering due to the abductions.

“A number of Japanese nationals were abducted by agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in past decades.  In 2002 at a summit between Japan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the latter admitted that it had been involved in a number of abductions and apologized accordingly.  Several of these cases have also been brought to the attention of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, which is still considering them.

“Various uncertainties remain and they need to be dealt with satisfactorily on the basis of constructive dialogue and related follow-up.  Currently, Japan claims that 15 individuals were abducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  Five of these individuals have now returned to Japan.  Of the remaining 10 individuals listed, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea claims that only eight individuals were taken into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while the other two never entered the country.  The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea also claims that the eight individuals mentioned have died, and that it has returned the remains of two of those individuals to Japan.  However, the authenticity of those remains has been contested by Japan, and the circumstances concerning the alleged deaths of the eight individuals mentioned, and concerning the two individuals of whom the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea denies knowledge, remain ambivalent and equivocal.

“The Special Rapporteur expresses his deep concern over the issue and wishes to convey five key messages as a humanitarian call:

-- Responsibility:  calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respond effectively and expeditiously to Japan’s claim that there are a number of  Japanese nationals abducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who are still alive in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and that they should be returned to Japan immediately and in safety;

-- Transparency:  calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to ensure reliable and objective verification of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s claim concerning the alleged deaths of various Japanese nationals abducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, clarify related ambiguities and discrepancies, and ascertain whether other Japanese nationals have been abducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

-- Family unity:  calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respect and guarantee family unity/reunification, particularly for those who have suffered from the abductions.

-- Accountability:  calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to rectify the discrepancies and enable the victims of abductions and their families to access justice and seek redress effectively and expeditiously from those responsible for the abductions, including bringing to justice those responsible for the acts.

-- Sustainability:  calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to resume and sustain dialogue and actions with Japan to solve peacefully the problem of abductions of Japanese nationals by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to ensure satisfactory resolution of the issue, and to prevent abductions from happening again.

“These messages should be seen in the light of the call for international solidarity to support the two countries in their bilateral dialogue/relations to solve the problem constructively, reflecting the need to promote and protect human rights comprehensively on the basis of international law and the international human rights framework.”

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