Russia and China’s Complicity in North Korea’s Human Rights Violations: Measures the U.S. Should Take to Intervene and Mitigate the Abuse

Authors

Cameron Kenyon, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law

Abstract

The complicity of Russia and China in North Korea’s (DPRK) human rights issues is incredibly concerning not only for the safety and well-being of North Korean citizens, but for world-wide security. Both China and Russia facilitate the DPRK human rights abuses by trading with North Korea irrespective of international sanctions, enabling human trafficking of North Koreans who have fled to China, and involuntarily repatriating refugees from the DPRK. Awareness of the DPRK human rights issues and Russia and China’s complicity, as well as active intervention, should be at the forefront of the U.S. human rights policy in order for the nation to successfully mitigate the systematic abuse. In addition to taking numerous policy measures, the U.S. must: (1) integrate human rights into clarified DPRK policy; (2) improve the implementation of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA); (3) make a connection between the CAATSA and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA); (4) take advantage of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act (NKSPEA) of 2016, and (5) ensure the proper execution of the North Korea Human Rights Act (NKHRA). If the dire human rights situation in the DPRK is not improved and the U.S. does not take the aforementioned measures, North Korean’s suffering will be unnecessarily prolonged and the DPRK totalitarian regime may achieve uninhibited control and power, thereby hindering progress toward a solution to world-wide security issues.

Recommended Citation

Cameron Kenyon, Comment, Russia and China’s Complicity in North Korea’s Human Rights Violations: Measures the U.S. Should Take to Intervene and Mitigate the Abuse, ILRA Student Forum (2024)