Pyongyang, December 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Son Kyong, vice-minister for International Organizations of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, released the following press statement titled "The U.S., a stumbling block to international peace and security, has no right to remain in the sacred UN arena" on December 10:

Gaza Strip of Palestine has been turned into a sea of blood and heap of ashes due to the indiscriminate military attacks by Israel. In this regard, a meeting of the UN Security Council was held on December 8 to take a vote on the resolution raised by the United Arab Emirates demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.

However, this resolution was turned down as the U.S. vetoed, making an absurd assertion that Israel's "right to self-defense" was not respected. In October last when a vote for a resolution on allowing humanitarian access to Gaza Strip of Palestine was taken, the U.S. rejected the resolution while talking about Israel's "right to self-defense".

I cannot but deplore the fact that the international community's unanimous desire for peace and stability to settle in the Middle East at an early date was mercilessly trampled down again due to the high-handed and arbitrary practices of an arrogant permanent member state, and strongly denounce such practice of the U.S.

The shameless "determination" of the U.S., which once again challenged the general will of the international community at the UNSC meeting discussing Israel's unethical and anti-peace atrocities, a grave threat to the regional peace and security, clearly shows who is the biggest wrecker destroying the basis of global peace and stability.

The U.S. branded the exercise of legitimate rights such as satellite launch of the DPRK, a sovereign state, which did not harm any other country, as a "threat" to international peace and security and viciously criticized UNSC permanent member states which vetoed an unreasonable anti-DPRK "sanctions resolution" to brake its high-handed and arbitrary practices. But this time, it abused the veto right to patronize its ally which has killed tens of thousands of civilians. This is the height of unethical crimes rather than manifestation of illegal double standards.

The U.S. should have explained why the anti-DPRK "sanctions resolutions" of the UNSC have no phrase on the recognition of the DPRK's right to self-defense, before complaining that there is no phrase on the confirmation of Israel's right to self-defense in the resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip.

If Israel's massacre of civilians is a "legitimate exercise of the right to self-defense", it would have been necessary to give an answer to the question why the DPRK's exercise of the right to self-defense to safeguard the security of the country and people and the regional peace and stability should be dealt with as "illegal" at the UNSC.

If the legality of any act of UN member states should be judged by whether they are independent sovereign states or subordinate pro-American, it would have been more appropriate for the U.S.-style world control to abide by the U.S. Constitution instead of the UN Charter and replace the UNSC with the U.S. National Security Council.

The present Middle East situation clearly proves once again that it is entirely due to the U.S. deeds that the UNSC, whose basic mission is to defend peace and stability, has been reduced into an arena of showdown inciting war, instability, dispute and confrontation and into a stage of injustice where illegal double standards are rampant.

The U.S., a stumbling block to the international peace and stability, is not entitled to remain in the sacred UN arena representing the general will of the international community, to say nothing of the UNSC.

The authority and trust of the UNSC will be surely restored by the independent sovereign states which are unyieldingly struggling to realize the international justice and equality of sovereignty, not by the U.S. and its followers which are resorting to the unilateral high-handed practices while wantonly infringing upon the sovereign rights and legitimate interests of UN member states.

The righteous international community including the DPRK will never tolerate the U.S. heinous infringement upon sovereignty causing international instability and humanitarian crisis with illegal double standards, but strive to establish an independent and peaceful new international order based on the respect for sovereignty, non-interference, justice and equality. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche112.12.10.)