Tuesday, February 03, 2009

U.S. North Korean policy should focus on human rights

Human rights issues should become the central principle of U.S. policy toward North Korea, director of the nongovernmental organization U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea told the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, also an associate dean of the Jewish human rights group Simon Wiesenthal Center, told reporters that diplomacy focused on denuclearization has failed to produce results during the two previous U.S. administrations.

"We really haven't made great progress despite all the efforts made," and indicated U.S. President Barack Obama should shift tactics.

Cooper pointed out that leverage of human rights issues by the U.S. bore significant fruit in ending the Cold War, with small steps ultimately setting the stage for deconstruction of the Soviet bloc and an end to nuclear fears.

[The Japan Times]

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