Human Rights and Prison Camps in North Korea
Little is known about North Korea as the country tries to isolate itself from the rest of the world. North Korea is a communist state which is starkly different from the United States model of democracy. The people and government of North Korea function under a rigid state-controlled system which has led to stagnation and cult like leadership. As a result of the government structure, the prison system in North Korea is startling in comparison to the United States.
Earlier this year, the United Nations released a 400-page report of its yearlong investigation of human rights in North Korea. The report finds that North Korea is violating human rights primarily through the use of prison camps. The United Nations conducted over 300 interviews in public hearings and private interviews and satellite imaging to gain evidence during its investigation.[1] The panel found that leaders, on all levels, use murder, torture, slavery, sexual violence, mass starvation and other abuses as means to terrorize its people into submission.[1] The commission who lead the investigation will refer their findings to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution for the abuses and violation of human rights that occur in North Korea.[1]
The United Nations investigation brought to light the violation of human rights in North Korea and the abuses that occur in the prison camps. Prison camp survivors’ testimonies describe the treatment and torture that one faces inside a prison camp. One can be sent to a prison camp for watching soap operas or trying to find food or crossing the border to China.[2] The North Korean regime practices “guilt by association” which punishes family members of a person suspected of misdeeds.[2] Approximately 120,000 North Koreans are imprisoned across the country.[3] The exact number is unknown but believed to have decreased the past 5 years because many of the inmates have been murdered or starved to death.[2]
Inside the prison camps inmates are tortured and forced to perform labor at the camp. If a prisoner is unable to work than they are restrained and starved to death.[2] Surviving prisoners recount that they were so desperate to have something in their stomachs that they would eat grass, worms and snakes they found in the fields. [2] Guards make the starving prisoners to race along the side of a cliff for food and laugh when one would fall off the cliff.[3] Women at the camps are often forced to have abortions or forced to kill their babies once they are born.[2] Women prisoners are sexually abused and then killed by the guards.[3] At one camp, an escaped prisoner recounts that guards would force prisoners to dig their own graves and then beat them to death with hammers.[3] Prisoners have reported that they have become used to death and would sometimes strip the dead person and wear their clothes.[2] The testimonies of the abuse that occurs in these North Korean prison camps are intense and many of escaped prisoners’ stories can easily be found on any news source.
The North Korean prison camp system is estimated to have cost millions of North Koreans their lives.[3] The prison camps are compared to those of the Nazis and the Soviets.[1] The prison system is vastly different than the one here in the United States. Citizens in North Korea can be imprisoned for arbitrary reasons from gossiping to family associations.[2] Prisoners are condemned for extensive periods of time and are not given a fair trial.[3] North Korean prison camp conditions are immensely harsh in comparison to the United States. The United States prison system does have its issues of abuse but not to the scale that prisoner in North Korea. Hopefully, through the work of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court the mistreatment of North Korean citizens and prisoners will be rectified.
Articles
Here are some articles describing the North Korean prison camps:
North Korea: “We were forced to eat grass and soil”
The boy who grew up in North Korea’s labour camp 14
World must awaken to North Korea’s camps of horror
[1] Pearson, Michael, Jason Hanna, Steven Jiang, and Paula Hancocks. "'Abundant Evidence' of Crimes against Humanity in North Korea, Panel Says." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Feb. 2014. Web.
[2] Park, Madison. "North Korea: 'We Were Forced to Eat Grass and Soil'" CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Feb. 2014. Web.
[3] Smith, Alexander. "North Korea's Horrors 'Strikingly Similar' to Nazi Acts - NBC News." NBC News. NBC, 17 Feb. 2014. Web.
Little is known about North Korea as the country tries to isolate itself from the rest of the world. North Korea is a communist state which is starkly different from the United States model of democracy. The people and government of North Korea function under a rigid state-controlled system which has led to stagnation and cult like leadership. As a result of the government structure, the prison system in North Korea is startling in comparison to the United States.
Earlier this year, the United Nations released a 400-page report of its yearlong investigation of human rights in North Korea. The report finds that North Korea is violating human rights primarily through the use of prison camps. The United Nations conducted over 300 interviews in public hearings and private interviews and satellite imaging to gain evidence during its investigation.[1] The panel found that leaders, on all levels, use murder, torture, slavery, sexual violence, mass starvation and other abuses as means to terrorize its people into submission.[1] The commission who lead the investigation will refer their findings to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution for the abuses and violation of human rights that occur in North Korea.[1]
The United Nations investigation brought to light the violation of human rights in North Korea and the abuses that occur in the prison camps. Prison camp survivors’ testimonies describe the treatment and torture that one faces inside a prison camp. One can be sent to a prison camp for watching soap operas or trying to find food or crossing the border to China.[2] The North Korean regime practices “guilt by association” which punishes family members of a person suspected of misdeeds.[2] Approximately 120,000 North Koreans are imprisoned across the country.[3] The exact number is unknown but believed to have decreased the past 5 years because many of the inmates have been murdered or starved to death.[2]
Inside the prison camps inmates are tortured and forced to perform labor at the camp. If a prisoner is unable to work than they are restrained and starved to death.[2] Surviving prisoners recount that they were so desperate to have something in their stomachs that they would eat grass, worms and snakes they found in the fields. [2] Guards make the starving prisoners to race along the side of a cliff for food and laugh when one would fall off the cliff.[3] Women at the camps are often forced to have abortions or forced to kill their babies once they are born.[2] Women prisoners are sexually abused and then killed by the guards.[3] At one camp, an escaped prisoner recounts that guards would force prisoners to dig their own graves and then beat them to death with hammers.[3] Prisoners have reported that they have become used to death and would sometimes strip the dead person and wear their clothes.[2] The testimonies of the abuse that occurs in these North Korean prison camps are intense and many of escaped prisoners’ stories can easily be found on any news source.
The North Korean prison camp system is estimated to have cost millions of North Koreans their lives.[3] The prison camps are compared to those of the Nazis and the Soviets.[1] The prison system is vastly different than the one here in the United States. Citizens in North Korea can be imprisoned for arbitrary reasons from gossiping to family associations.[2] Prisoners are condemned for extensive periods of time and are not given a fair trial.[3] North Korean prison camp conditions are immensely harsh in comparison to the United States. The United States prison system does have its issues of abuse but not to the scale that prisoner in North Korea. Hopefully, through the work of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court the mistreatment of North Korean citizens and prisoners will be rectified.
Articles
Here are some articles describing the North Korean prison camps:
North Korea: “We were forced to eat grass and soil”
The boy who grew up in North Korea’s labour camp 14
World must awaken to North Korea’s camps of horror
[1] Pearson, Michael, Jason Hanna, Steven Jiang, and Paula Hancocks. "'Abundant Evidence' of Crimes against Humanity in North Korea, Panel Says." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Feb. 2014. Web.
[2] Park, Madison. "North Korea: 'We Were Forced to Eat Grass and Soil'" CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Feb. 2014. Web.
[3] Smith, Alexander. "North Korea's Horrors 'Strikingly Similar' to Nazi Acts - NBC News." NBC News. NBC, 17 Feb. 2014. Web.