Beijing will fight proposed UN court action over North Korean abuses
China says talks, not international court, the way to deal with crimes-against-humanity claims
China said yesterday it would oppose any move at the United Nations to refer Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
The comment came just before a three-member UN panel recommended the referral of North Korea to the ICC in The Hague.
"I haven't seen the report, but our relevant position is clear-cut on this: issues concerning human rights should be solved through constructive dialogue on an equal footing," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "To submit this report to the ICC will not help resolve the human rights situation in one country."
The panel's 372-page report is a wide-ranging indictment of North Korea for policies ranging from deliberate starvation and torture in political prison camps with 80,000 to 120,000 people, state-sponsored abductions, publicly motivated executions and lifelong indoctrination.
In a letter accompanying a the report, the panel's chairman, retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, directly warned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he may be held accountable for orchestrating widespread crimes.
"Even without being directly involved in crimes against humanity, a military commander may be held responsible for crimes against humanity committed by forces under the commander's effective command and control," he wrote.