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world news Diasabra 19 Juni 2021

North Korea's Kim vows to be ready for confrontation with US

(AP) — North Korean to get fully prepared for con- Peninsula and “the verifiable
leader Kim Jong Un or- frontation in order to protect and irreversible abandon-
dered his government to the dignity of our state” and ment” of North Korea’s nu-
be prepared for both dia- ensure national security, it clear and missile programs.
logue and confrontation said. They called on North Korea
with the Biden adminis- to engage and resume dia-
tration — but more for In 2018-19, Kim held a series logue.
confrontation — state me- of summits with then-Pres-
dia reported Friday, days ident Donald Trump to dis- Sung Kim, the top U.S. of-
after the United States and cuss North Korea’s advanc- ficial on North Korea, is to
others urged the North to ing nuclear arsenal. But the visit Seoul on Saturday for a
abandon its nuclear pro- negotiations fell apart after trilateral meeting with South
gram and return to talks. Trump rejected Kim’s calls Korean and Japanese officials.
for extensive sanctions relief His travel emphasizes the
Kim’s statement indicates in return for a partial surren- importance of three-way co-
he’ll likely push to strength- der of his nuclear capability. operation in working toward
en his nuclear arsenal and complete denuclearization
increase pressure on Wash- Biden’s administration has of the Korean Peninsula, the
ington to give up what North worked to formulate a new State Department said.
Korea considers a hostile pol- approach on North Korea’s high alert to defend national
icy toward the North, though nuclear program that it de- Kim Jong Un has recently Kwak Gil Sup, head of One security.
he’ll also prepare for talks to scribes as “calibrated and threatened to enlarge his nu- Korea Center, a website spe-
resume, some experts say. practical.” Details of his clear arsenal and build high- cializing in North Korea af- Analyst Cheong Seong-
North Korea policy haven’t tech weapons targeting the fairs, wrote on Facebook that Chang at the private Sejong
During an ongoing ruling been publicized, but U.S. of- U.S. mainland if Washington Kim’s statement suggested Institute in South Korea said
party meeting Thursday, Kim ficials have suggested Biden refuses to abandon its hostile he’s taking a two-track ap- North Korea will likely re-
analyzed in detail the policy will seek a middle ground be- policy toward North Korea. proach of bolstering military turn to talks but won’t accept
tendencies of the U.S. un- tween Trump’s direct meet- capability and preparing for a call for immediate, com-
der President Joe Biden and ings with Kim and former In March, Kim’s military talks. But he said Kim will plete denuclearization. He
clarified steps to be taken in President Barack Obama’s performed its first short- more likely focus on boost- said North Korea may accede
relations with Washington, “strategic patience” to curb range ballistic missile tests ing military strength and re- to a proposal to freeze its
the Korean Central News Kim’s nuclear program. in a year. But North Korea peating his demand for the atomic program and partially
Agency said. It did not speci- is still maintaining a morato- U.S. to withdraw its hostile reduce its nuclear arsenal in
fy the steps. Earlier this week, leaders of rium on long-range missile policy, rather than hastily re- phased steps if the Biden ad-
the Group of Seven wealthy and nuclear tests in an indi- turning to talks. ministration relaxes sanctions
Kim “stressed the need to get nations issued a statement cation that Kim still wants to and suspends its regular mili-
prepared for both dialogue calling for the complete de- keep prospects for diplomacy Kim said last week North tary drills with South Korea.
and confrontation, especially nuclearization of the Korean alive. Korea’s military must stay on

UN alarmed by abuse of civilians in growing Myanmar conflict

(AP) — The United Nations’ of- munities, families or individuals,” the tigate and stated that it “follows the
fice in Myanmar expressed con- U.N. office said. Geneva Convention which does not The government and its opponents
cern Thursday about escalating condone the killing of civilians dur- each refer to the other side as “terror-
human rights abuses after reports The statement noted the discovery of ing armed conflict.” The statement ists.”
that a group opposed to the junta two mass graves in the eastern state added that any wrongdoing could be
may have executed 25 civilians of Kayin, also called Karen, contain- prosecuted, without providing spe- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
it captured and allegations that ing the human remains of 25 people cifics. Guterres “is deeply concerned and
troops had burned down a village. “who had reportedly been detained disturbed” by the reports of govern-
on 31 May by the Karen National The U.N. statement called for “those ment forces burning down villages in
The struggle between the military Defense Organization,” or KNDO. responsible for human rights viola- Kinma, U.N. spokesman Stephane
regime that took power in February tions to be held accountable, includ- Dujarric said.
after ousting the elected government The KNDO is one of the fighting ing the perpetrators and their chain of
of Aung San Suu Kyi and those op- forces of the Karen National Union, command.” This “reminds us of the systematic
posing it has sharpened in recent the political organization of the Karen burning of villages in North Rakhine
months. ethnic minority that has been fighting Also in dispute was the burning of state, which we saw in the past and
for decades for more autonomy from Kinma village in the Magway region which led to the dramatic exodus of
Elements of what had initially been a the central government. in Myanmar’s heartland on Tuesday. the Rohingya people,” Dujarric said.
nonviolent civil disobedience move-
ment have evolved into a fledgling The junta said Sunday that the 25 A resident of the village confirmed “The Secretary-General continues to
armed resistance force in response to bodies were those of road construc- to The Associated Press accounts in strongly condemn the continued re-
harsh repression from police and sol- tion workers who were detained and independent media that government pression by the security forces against
diers who killed hundreds of peaceful killed by the KNDO. troops were responsible for burning civilians across the country, which
protesters and bystanders. down most of the village’s roughly again is having major regional rami-
In response, KNDO spokesman 250 houses, and that an elderly cou- fications and requires a unified inter-
The statement by the U.N. office Wah Nay Nu was quoted by The Ir- ple unable or unwilling to flee with national response,” Dujarric said.
cited abuses by both sides, calling on rawaddy, an independent online news the rest of the villagers were believed
“all actors in the current crisis to en- service, as saying the men were not to have died. The villager spoke on Noting the discovery of the two mass
sure that international human rights civilians but government military condition of anonymity for fear of re- graves, Dujarric said the United Na-
norms and standards are respected.” personnel who were spying. Some prisals by the government. tions calls on all parties to ensure that
were shot dead by KNDO forces but international human rights standards
“This includes upholding the obliga- others were killed by shelling from Government-controlled media, how- are respected including minimizing
tion to minimize collateral harm to government forces, he said. ever, reported that “terrorists” had harm to civilians and civilian infra-
civilians and to civilian infrastructure, burned the home of someone un- structure and prohibiting collective
and prohibiting the application of On Wednesday, however, the Karen sympathetic to their cause, and wind punishment against communities,
collective punishments against com- National Union said it would inves- spread the fire to other homes. families or individuals.