N Korea human rights 'abysmal'

A UN envoy has criticised the rights situation in North Korea as "abysmal", saying one-third of the country's population was going hungry needlessly.

The UN envoy for North Korea said the country was not poor and urged it to drop its "military first" policy.The envoy, Vitit Muntarbhorn, said the UN could help fewer than two million people due to a shortfall in aid.

The shortage was due to international reaction over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, he said.

Mr Muntarbhorn said food supplies have also been affected by the state's efforts to control economic activity, particularly by restricting the role of women.

The Thai human-rights expert who has been UN Special Rapporteur for North Korea since 2004, was giving his final report to a meeting of UN members.

"The human rights situation in the country remains abysmal owing to the repressive nature of the power base: at once cloistered, controlled and callous," he said. -BBC