Week 2

Obama signs N. Korean human rights act

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2012/08/18/13/0200000000AEN20120818000100315F.HTML
Article from Yonhap News Agency

* A human rights act is a statute that sets out individual rights and freedoms under the law.

Summary:

On May 15, 2012, according to the White house, U.S President Barack Obama approved the reauthorization of the North Korean Human Rights Act until 2017. The North Korean Human Rights Act, which became law in October 2004, was previously reauthorized in 2008. The legislation addresses U.S policy on issues including radio broadcasting into North Korea, humanitarian assistance, and the appointment of a special envoy on the North's human rights issues. That is to say, the law put pressure on Pyongyang on the issues of human rights, democracy, refugee protection and freedom of information. Lawmakers emphasized the urgency of addressing human rights abuses by the secretive communist regime, armed with nuclear weapons and missiles. By promoting human rights and transparency, this law is an important part of addressing the North Korean security threat.

Opinion:

President Obama renewed North Korean human rights act until 2017. For past years, there have been a lot of issues regarding infringement upon North Koreans' rights. Because a regime that abuses its own people with impunity cannot be trusted to negotiate honestly with the outside world. United States and rest of the world need a reason to justify some limitations they put on North Korea. I wonder North Korea will continue to last forever. It surely must collapse because its government is doing a really bad job handling diplomacy with, such as, nuclear weapons.