North Korea has committed "crimes against humanity" against its own people according to an independent report that appeals to the UN Security Council to deal with the issue.| The report describes Pyongyang's brutal treatment of its citizens, from the beatings of pregnant women to force miscarriages to the abduction, torture and execution of political prisoners. |
An official at the North Korean mission to the United Nations declined comment on the report and repeated North Korea's position that it does not violate human rights. Foreign policy analysts praised the report for highlighting an issue that often gets short shrift amid concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile programs but they said the chances of the Security Council acting on it were slim. Among other reasons, they noted the council has already passed two resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea in the last four months, the first following its July 5 ballistic missile tests and the second after this month's nuclear test.