U.S. government says human rights situation in North Korea is 'abysmal'

2010-12-11 10:06:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEW) — The U.S. State Department on Friday expressed concern about ongoing human rights violations in North Korea.

"We continue to raise those concerns publicly and in every way we can," Michael Posner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, said during a press conference, stating that the department will continue to do so.

In March, the department called North Korea's human rights situation "deplorable" under the dictatorship of Kim Jong-il following its annual human rights report.

"The human rights situation in North Korea is abysmal," Posner continued. "There continues to be widespread violations in the prisons, lack of freedom of speech, assembly, association. I don't see any change in what's really a quite grim situation."

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