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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 25 February 2025
A report says Chinese fishing vessels used North Korean crews in

breach of UN bans

By HYUNG-JIN KIM resolutions.
Associated Press The group said the use of
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean crew also ap-
A fleet of Chinese fishing pears to have bypassed le-
vessels used North Korean gal frameworks in the U.K.
crews between 2019 and and the European Union
2024 in violation of U.N. designed to prevent goods
bans, and many people produced by North Kore-
were apparently subjected ans from entering their sup-
to abuses including being ply chains. The EJF said that
trapped at sea for years, a it also found ships that were
report said Monday. suspected of collecting fish
The Environmental Justice from the Chinese vessels
Foundation, a London- had entered key markets in
based group specializing in Asia including Japan, Tai-
environmental and human wan and South Korea.
rights issues, said it identi- Along with Russia, China
fied the presence of North is suspected of not fully
Koreans on 12 Chinese enforcing U.N. sanctions
tuna long-liners operat- on North Korea and has
ing in the southwest Indian vetoed U.S.-led efforts to
Ocean. The report was toughen U.N. sanctions
mostly based on interviews on North Korea despite its
with 19 Indonesians and banned weapons tests.
Filipinos who worked along- China’s Foreign Ministry did
side them. Chinese fishing vessels navigate past a beacon in the Zhubi Reef off Spratly Islands in South China not comment immediately.
“The testimony received Sea, July 18, 2012. Associated Press The EJF said it’s the first time
from Indonesian and Fili- North Korean labor has
pino crew members sug- forced labor of a magni- their North Korean ship- cil resolutions that required been publicly documented
gests that concerted efforts tude that surpasses much mates were not allowed to member states not to is- on a distant-water fishing
were made to hide the of that witnessed in a glob- use mobile phones or leave sue work permits to North vessel. Before the 2019 U.N.
presence of North Koreans al fishing industry already vessels during port visits. Koreans and repatriate all deadline, tens of thousands
on these vessels, and that replete with abuse,” it add- The group said it wasn’t remaining North Korean of North Koreans were
those North Koreans on ed. able to estimate the num- workers from their territories reported to be working
board were forced to work The group said the North ber of North Koreans by the end of 2019. abroad, mostly at factories
for as many as 10 years at Koreans were passed from aboard the Chinese vessels The sanctions were ad- and restaurants in China
sea in some instances with- vessel to vessel to prevent because of the transfers. opted after North Korea and logging camps and
out ever stepping foot on them from returning to land. The use of North Korean conducted nuclear and construction sites in Russia,
land,” the report said. It cited unidentified Asian crew would be a breach long-range missile tests in to bring in much-needed
“This would constitute crew members as saying of 2017 U.N. Security Coun- violation of earlier council foreign currency.q

Israel refuses entry to 2 E.U. lawmakers and accuses 1 of

promoting boycotts of it

By MELANIE LIDMAN and media and in media inter- people living under Israeli who have denied Hamas’ idents of Israel, builds on
LORNE COOK views.” No reasons were occupation. Boylan is a Oct. 7, 2023, attack or ex- previous legislation that
Associated Press immediately given for member of the Sinn Fein pressed support for the in- denied entry to anyone
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Isra- Boylan being denied entry. party in Ireland, which has ternational prosecution of calling for a boycott of
el on Monday denied en- Hassan was born in Alep- been among the most vo- Israeli soldiers. Israel. The law also bans
try to two European Union po, Syria, and, like Boylan, cal countries in criticizing The law, which applies to the entry of Holocaust
lawmakers, accusing one is a member of The Left the Israeli government over non-citizens and non-res- deniers.q
of promoting boycotts of group in the EU parliament. its treatment of Palestin-
the country. On Friday, The Left group ians. “This utter contempt
Lynn Boylan, who chairs called for the immediate from Israel is the result of
the European Parliament suspension of the EU-Israel the international commu-
EU-Palestine delegation, Association Agreement a nity failing to hold them
and Rima Hassan were re- pact that underpins their to account,” Boylan said
fused entry at Ben-Gurion relations given the Inter- in a statement. “Israel is a
airport and ordered to re- national Court of Justice rogue state, and this dis-
turn to Europe. investigation into crimes graceful move shows the
Interior Minister Moshe Ar- committed against Pales- level of utter disregard that
bel said French politician tinians in Gaza. they have for international
Hassan has “consistently Boylan said she had law. Europe must now hold
worked to promote boy- planned to meet with Pal- Israel to account.”
cotts against Israel in ad- estinian Authority officials, Israeli legislators passed a Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan speaks during a
dition to numerous public representatives of civil so- law this month that pro- pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the European Parliament
statements both on social ciety organizations and hibits entry to people in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Associated Press