N. Korea slams U.S. over racial discrimination
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea sharply criticized the United States Friday for violent protests in Ferguson, apparently seeking to turn the tables on Washington often critical of Pyongyang's human rights abuse.
The communist nation's foreign ministry claimed it is absurd for the U.S., troubled by its own human rights problems, to blame other countries.
It cited civilian protests prevalent in Ferguson, Missouri, after a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in the killing of an unarmed black man aged 18. Public resentment is spreading to other U.S. cities.
"The occurrence of nationwide protests at present goes to prove that the U.S. human rights regime is beset with serious problems," an unnamed ministry spokesman said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
It shows the "real picture" of the U.S. where "extreme racial discrimination acts are openly practiced," he added.
The spokesman accused President Barack Obama of making "irresponsible remarks" that the U.S. is a country that adheres to the rule of law and the people need to accept the decision of the judicial authorities.
"But such individual human rights abuses are taking place one after another and have reached a systematic and wide-ranging and extremely grave phase," he said.
The ministry's statement came as the North's regime is upset about the passage by a U.N. committee of a strongly-worded resolution against Pyongyang for its dismal human rights record. It calls for a referral of the North's leaders to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
The U.N. General Assembly plans to put it to a vote in December.
The North, meanwhile, took a direct swipe at Japan, which has spearheaded a campaign for the resolution.
Japan and the European Union co-authored the draft resolution also sponsored by more than 60 nations.
The KCNA said in a commentary that Japan will have to brace itself for "reckless punishment" for blatantly defaming the North.
Pyongyang also reiterated that the resolution is based on fabricated data and politically motivated misinformation in line with Washington's hostile policy.
The U.S. and its followers are trying hard to bring down the socialist system chosen by the North's people, the nation's Association for Human Rights Studies said in a report carried by the KCNA.
"It is the consistent political stand of the DPRK (North Korea) to make sustained efforts to protect and promote the genuine human rights and positively promote the international cooperation in this field," the association said.
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