The UN report described the regime’s crimes against humanity as ‘without parallel in the contemporary world’, with a list involving, ‘...torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions...persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations... and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation”

Kirby, a retired high-court judge who lead the Commission of Inquiry revealed that he was overcome by tears when listening to survivors’ testimonies about the regime. Among the atrocities described was the great famine of the 1990s during which the regime exorbitantly spent on military technology which left the people eating rats and grass.

A copy of the UN report was given to the North Korean regime, which labelled the witnesses who testified as “human scum. “

In recommending a response to the atrocities during a lecture at Sydney’s Lowy Institute on Wednesday Kirby said, ‘we should not simply sit quietly...we should all be making a fuss.’ He also recognised China’s powerful influence, expressing concern that it may veto the move to refer the regime leaders to the court. Kirby warned that those who stood against calling the regime leaders to account would be held accountable by history.

 Source: The Guardian