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WORLD NEWSTuesday 16 February 2016
North Korea: Lawyer:
Rockets, begonias on display for leader’s birthday Bangkok bomb
suspect tortured
ERIC TALMADGE for a confession
Associated Press N. ANUSONADISAI
PYONGYANG, North Ko- Associated Press
rea (AP) — In North Ko- BANGKOK (AP) — The law-
rea, leaders have rockets yer for a one of two suspects
named after them. And in last year’s deadly bomb-
begonias. ing of a Bangkok landmark
Thousands of Pyongyang said Monday his client was
residents attended Mon- tortured to elicit a confes-
day’s opening of an elab- sion, as the pair were set to
orate flower exhibit featur- formally hear the charges
ing a bright-red begonia against them in a military
named “Kimjongilia” as court.
Lawyer Chuchart Kanpai
well as models of North Ko-
says Bilal Mohammad avows
rea’s latest Kwangmyong- he was tortured by security
song rocket. Like the be- personnel into falsely con-
gonias, the rocket and fessing to the Aug. 17 blast
the satellite it carried into at the Erawan Shrine that
orbit are named in honor killed 20 people, 14 of them
of former leader Kim Jong foreign tourists. More than
Il, who is sometimes called 120 other people were hurt
the Kwangmyongsong, or in one of the deadliest acts
Shining Star, of the nation. of violence in Bangkok in
The exhibit celebrates the decades. Bilal and Mieraili
birthday of the late North Yusufu, described by officials
A visitor at a flower festival walks past a model of North Korea’s newest satellite Kwangmyongsong as ethnic Uighurs from west-
Korean leader and fa- 4 on display as part of celebrations Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, a day before the 74th birthday an- ern China’s Xinjiang region,
ther of current leader Kim niversary, also known as the “Day of the Shining Star,” of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il were indicted last Novem-
in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Jong Un. The elder Kim’s ber on 10 charges, includ-
birthday, on Tuesday, is festivals, which are de- (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ing conspiracy to explode
known as the Day of the signed to bolster national
Shining Star and is one of pride and reinforce the birthday of national found- media have gone into bombs and commit pre-
North Korea’smost impor- primacy of the Kim regime er Kim Il Sung. overdrive hailing the na- meditated murder. No prog-
tant holidays. and the military. Another But the rockets took a spe- ress has been announced
Mixing flowers with mock- flower festival, featuring or- cial place of prominence tion’s technological and on the hunt for 15 other sus-
ups of missiles, rockets and chids named “Kimilsungia,” this year. scientific progress and its pects sought in arrest war-
other weaponry is a com- is held each year on the Since a nuclear test on Jan. heightened ability to pro- rants.
mon feature of the annual 6 and the subsequent sat-
ellite launch, North Korean tect itself against attack Police say the case against
from its archenemy, the the two suspects is support-
United States.q
ed by closed-circuit tele-
vision footage, witnesses,
UN: DNA matching and physical
evidence, in addition to their
New sex abuse claims in Central African Republic confessions. Police believe
Yusufu detonated the bomb
minutes after a backpack
EDITH M. LEDERER why so many rapes and likely were 22 confirmed Congo, Bangladesh, Niger containing the device was
Associated Press other sexual abuse by allegations of sexual abuse left at the shrine by a yellow-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The peacekeepers have been or exploitation in the U.N. and Senegal.
United Nations said Mon- alleged in Central African peacekeeping mission in shirted man they suspect
day it is investigating new Republic, which has been Central African Republic in The U.N. also has started was Bilal.
allegations of sexual abuse gripped by deadly vio- 2015, but the figure could repatriations over sexual Thai authorities say the
and exploitation by U.N. lence between Christians be higher with recent alle- abuse and exploitation al- bombing was revenge by
peacekeepers in Central and Muslims since late 2013. gations. legations. a people-smuggling gang
On Monday, Haq said the whose activities were dis-
repatriation of a Congo- rupted by a crackdown.
African Republic, including Thousands of peacekeep- As part of a new U.N. pol- lese battalion in Bambari, However, some analysts sus-
against minors. ers from the United Nations, icy, Banbury also for the where a number of cases pected it might have been
U.N. deputy spokesman African Union and Europe first time publicly named have been reported, will the work of Uighur separatists
start on Feb. 25. Some 208 who were angry that Thai-
Farhan Haq said details will have been deployed since countries whose troops and replacement troops from land in July forcibly repatri-
be announced after an ini- then to help restore peace. police in U.N. missions had ated more than 100 Uighurs
tial probe is completed. Late last month, U.N. Assis- been accused of sexual Mauritania have already to China, where they may
The United Nations has tant Secretary-General An- abuse and exploitation. He arrived, he said.q be persecuted. q
been unable to explain thony Banbury said there named Congo, Republic of
