China set to oppose referral of N Korea to ICC
Iran Press TV
Mon Feb 17, 2014 2:52PM GMT
A senior Chinese official says the Beijing government will oppose any attempt to refer the North Korean leadership to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
The remarks come after leaked reports said a three-member UN panel would recommend the referral of North Korea to the ICC in the Hague.
China says sending the report to the Hague will not resolve human rights situation. Beijing has instead called for resolving the issue through constructive dialog.
"I myself 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 told a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
"To submit this report to the ICC will not help resolve the human rights situation in one country," the spokeswoman added.
The developments come after the UN said North Korean leaders should be prosecuted for grossly violating the rights of the nation.
Ahead of the announcement, Pyongyang rejected the report, saying it is part of a hostile policy against the country and violations mentioned in it do not exist.
North Korean government also called the report a political plot by the EU and Japan in alliance with the US, which has a hostile policy toward the Asian country.
Pyongyang has pledged to respond to any attempt of regime change under the pretext of human rights protection.
Senior North Korean officials have often accused Washington of plotting with regional allies to topple the country's government.
JR/SL
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