Jo Chol Su, Director General of the Department of International Organizations of the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave the following answers to questions put by KCNA on November 18 in regard to the railroading of an anti-DPRK “human rights resolution” at a session of the 3 rd Committee of the 77 th UN General Assembly held on November 17:

Question: It is said that an anti-DPRK “human rights resolution” tabled by the U.S. and its vassal forces was railroaded into adoption at the session of the 3 rd Committee of the 77 th UN General Assembly on November 17. What are your comments on this issue?

Answer: The DPRK does not recognize but categorically rejects the “human rights resolution” as it is a product of the unwarranted hostile policy against the DPRK by the U.S. and its vassal forces.

In our country, where the people’s independent rights are institutionally guaranteed and people actually enjoy them, “human rights” issue clamoured by the U.S. and its vassal forces does not and cannot exist.

The coercive adoption of the “human rights resolution” masterminded by the hostile forces does not reflect the universal viewpoint and stand of the international community on the human rights situation in the DPRK.

Not a few countries including China, Russia and Cuba voiced clear opposition to the anti-DPRK “human rights resolution” unilaterally raised by the U.S., EU, Japan and other Western countries.

This proves that the “human rights resolution” has nothing to do with substantial guarantee and improvement of human rights and that it is just a means for realizing the sinister political scheme of the U.S. and other Western countries.

Question: What is the purpose of the U.S. making much ado about the “human rights issue” of other countries in the international arena?

Answer: The purpose is clear. It is to pressurize the independent, sovereign countries standing against the U.S. high-handed and arbitrary practices, interfere in their internal affairs and topple their political system.

It is a trite method used by the U.S. to “demonize” independent and righteous countries, tarnish their images and create a lever for putting international pressure on them.

Finding that its sanctions and military threat do not work on the DPRK, the U.S. has become foolish as to mobilize its vassal forces into anti-DPRK “human rights offensive”.

After the puppet Yoon Suk Yeol traitorous group hell-bent on confrontation with the fellow countrymen came to power, south Korea has stood as a “human rights” shock brigade for the U.S. This clearly shows that the “human rights resolution” is a brainchild of the hostile forces in their sordid attempt to bring down the ideology and social system in the DPRK in an underhanded manner.

Question: Isn’t it another purpose of the U.S. and other Western countries to divert the focus of international community away from the poor human rights performance in their own countries when they raised the “human rights issue” in other countries?

Answer: Exactly.

Those countries and forces that spearheaded the recent anti-DPRK “human rights resolution” are all the worst human rights violators and tundra of human rights that left indelible blot on the world history of human rights.

It is exactly the U.S. where all sorts of social evils and institutional human rights abuses stalk, including deep-seated racism, incurable gun-related crimes, medieval human trafficking and police violence.

Even according to recent reports, an average of 122 people falls victim to gun-related crimes in the U.S. on a daily basis, out of which the death toll of African Americans holds 12 times higher than that of the white.

The world’s top “suicide kingdom”, a human hell infested with all sorts of human rights abuses and immoral acts, is none other than south Korea where democratic forces are clamped down under the “Security Law”, an evil law against human rights, civilians are put to illegal investigation and custody and the DPRK citizens become targets of group abduction.

Europe is endemic with all kinds of social evils like human trafficking, slave labor, cruel treatment of immigrants, rejection of refugees and drug abuse. Japan holds an all-time record figure in crimes against children and women, xenophobia and suicide.

Such worst human rights violators are touting about “human rights issue” in other countries as if they are “human rights judges”. This is a mockery and insult to human rights.

Question: What do you think is the prerequisite to guaranteeing human rights?

Answer: It is a very worrisome development that recently, human rights has become a political tool and weapon serving the small group and forces including the U.S. and other Western countries in the international community and are abused for interfering and pressurizing other countries.

The international community must be vigilant about the abuses of the sacred human rights for political plots by some countries and take note of such negative practices.

There are many countries and nations in the world and each of them has differing history, custom and economy with different levels of social and cultural development. Such being the situation, there can never be one human rights standard which can be applied to all.

Genuine human rights standard is not set by the “human rights missionaries” of the West, and the best standard is the one that prioritizes interests, desire and wishes of broad popular masses.

In the DPRK where the people-first politics are embodied in the overall state activities and social life, people’s rights and interests are made a top priority to help them enjoy genuine rights so as to truly meet their ideal and wishes.

The most important prerequisite to guaranteeing genuine human rights is to rise up against the high-handed and arbitrary practices and double-dealing acts of the U.S. and its vassal forces keen on applying sanctions, pressure, military threats and aggression against independent countries in order to maintain their hegemony.

Question: What is the stand of the DPRK government towards the anti-DPRK “human rights” racket of the hostile forces?

Answer: The U.S. and its vassal forces are gravely mistaken if they think their “human rights” racket would browbeat us.

Human rights precisely mean state sovereignty.

The reality of war-torn countries that suffered from the U.S. aggression clearly shows that human rights cannot be protected when state sovereignty is violated.

If there is any threat to the human rights in our country, that comes from the U.S. and its vassal forces.

The DPRK will do its utmost to protect the state sovereignty and interests from the hostile acts of the U.S. and its vassal forces and promote the genuine human rights of the popular masses, and will take thorough-going and strong counteraction against the hostile forces’ anti-DPRK “human rights” smear campaign.