Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) co-led a bipartisan resolution with Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) condemning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) political prison labor camp system. The resolution calls on the DPRK to dismantle their brutal system, noting instances of religious persecution, rape, forced abortions and brutal executions within the camps.
“It’s unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have disappeared at the hands of the North Korean regime in labor camps. We know torture, rape, starvation and other grave atrocities are being committed in these camps, and the United States as a world leader must stand up for basic human rights in our global community. I’m proud to support a resolution that demands the North Korean government dismantle these prison labor camps and stop these senseless killings.”
In addition to U.S. Senators Cortez Masto and Hawley, U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) also cosponsored the resolution.
BACKGROUND:
The resolution calls upon the international community to demand the dismantling of North Korea’s political labor camps and create a special tribunal to investigate and remedy North Korea’s crimes against humanity. It also advises the international community to consider targeted sanctions against those involved in these crimes and ban the import of goods made by North Korean prison laborers.
Senator Cortez Masto also co-led this resolution last Congress.
Full text of the 2019 resolution is available here.
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