North Korea EXPOSED: Pyongyang tortures CHILDREN for crimes their parents commit
NORTH Korean authorities have tortured or mistreated children for the crimes of their parents, according to a United Nations (UN) watchdog human rights panel.
The shocking revelation comes as tensions have reached breaking point on the Korean peninsula as a war of words between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump has followed North Korea’s ballistic missile tests.
The UN called on Pyongyang to stop child labour in farming, mining and construction as well as discriminating against youth for the crimes of their parents.
This is also a serious underlying cause for child mortality, also mortality of their mothers
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called it the “ideological indoctrination” in its education system and malnutrition among North Korean children.
UN panel member Kirsten Sandberg said: “We do have reports which are credible that children are at least to a certain extent tortured or exposed to violent treatment by the authorities in various circumstances.
“This might be when they return to the country after having tried to stay abroad and then are being forcibly returned. It happens on the border, we’ve heard reports about violent treatment.
“We also have reports of violence against children in detention.”
In its findings, the UN panel said it had “reports of discrimination against students based on their social status and political views of their parents”.
Ms Sandberg said North Korea has a serious nutrition problem.
She said: “There is still an over 40 per cent rate of under-nourishment.
“This is also a serious underlying cause for child mortality, also mortality of their mothers.
“And children under five years continue to suffer from high rates of stunting and wasting.”
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According to the UN, children are ordered to volunteer periods of their day to work on farms and mines, collect woods in the forest, repair railroads and participate in forestation construction.
The watchdog, composed of 18 independent experts, also called on North Korea to allow children freedom of expression, including access to the Internet.
North Korea told the UN panel last month that international sanctions imposed on it over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes would endanger the survival of North Korean children.
There was no immediate reaction from Pyongyang to the findings, but a North Korean diplomat in Geneva told Reuters just before they were released: "We are committed to dialogue.”