WRITTEN QUESTION E-3840/02 by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Evidence of the existence of concentration camps in North Korea.
Date: 2003-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, North Korea, common foreign and security policy, dictatorship, dissemination of EU information, government violence, human rights, penal institution

C 222 E/118

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

(2003/C 222 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3840/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Evidence of the existence of concentration camps in North Korea

The existence of concentration camps (cid:1) forced labour camps (cid:1) in North Korea, about which there was
talk for a long time, but which had never been confirmed by non-North Korean witnesses, has been
proved by satellite images which the Far Eastern Economic Review published after obtaining them from a
commercial satellite imagery provider.

The images were recognised as showing the Haengyong concentration and labour camp by a former
prison guard, Ahn Myong Chol, who defected to South Korea in 1994.

The South Koreans and American intelligence sources had long encouraged the rumour that they had
satellite photographs of the camps in their possession, but the supposed evidence was never published.

Does the Commission have the same kind of satellite images or has it been informed by one of the
Member States in possession of similar evidence about the existence of concentration camps in North
Korea? Does the Commission have any information about the existence of other concentration camps in
North Korea which could be proven by satellite images? When does the Commission expect to forward to
the relevant European Parliament committee the satellite images or any other evidence of the existence of
concentration camps in North Korea and what political
initiatives does it intend to take vis-à-vis the
Pyongyang government to induce it to close all the concentration camps immediately and release all the
prisoners without delay?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2003)

The Commission has received reports from various international human rights organisations, in particular
Amnesty International, alleging the existence of concentration camps in the Democratic Peoples Republic
of Korea (DPRK). Nevertheless, the Commission has not received any satellite images proving the existence
of such camps.

The human rights situation in the DPRK remains of major concern to the Union and is therefore being
followed very closely. Human rights issues, including the possible existence of concentration camps, are
systematically raised during regular political contacts with the North Korean authorities. The last occasion
was in June 2002 in Pyongyang.

The Commission can assure the Honourable Member that it will continue to monitor closely the human
rights situation in the DPRK and will raise human rights concerns in its contacts with the DPRK
authorities.

(2003/C 222 E/138)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3858/02

by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Treatment of waste from the Prestige accident

(6 January 2003)

The company Protección Medioambiental (PMA), which has already been sanctioned for environmental
offences by the Galician Government on several occasions, is the main firm responsible for managing the
tonnes of waste fuel oil collected every day along the Galician coast following the serious accident
involving the Prestige. PMA stores the fuel collected in large tanks before recycling it by manufacturing
filler bricks for the construction industry.