University of Queenslad warns of North Korea's ongoing atrocity crimes

The Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, University of Queensland has warned of North Korea' ongoing atrocity crimes albeit the recent diplomatic and political rapprochement between the two Koreas along with US.

A depiction of the treatment of a woman in North Korea included in the HRW report. Source: Human Rights Watch

While the serious human rights situation remains largely unchanged, the inter-Korean Summit on April

27 and the meeting between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 in

Singapore show signs of political rapprochement. Efforts to de-escalate tensions and reduce the risk

of military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula should be encouraged.

However, there are troubling signs that human rights are being sidelined as the political situation improves.

Neither the Panmunjom Declaration that emanated from the inter-Korean Summit nor the DPRK-US statement following the

talks in Singapore, expressly mentions human rights issues.

The government of ROK also appears to have recently withdrawn or cut funding for organisations working to advance human rights in the

DPRK, which are reportedly under pressure to avoid criticising Pyongyang as talks progress.