A news article on Google News about the fact that the US and other countries such as Japan and Russia are threatening to take action against North Korea if it were to go ahead with its nuclear tests as it had stated, had me interested in learning more about this nation which has isolated itself from the rest of the world in every way possible.

I feel sorry for all North Koreans who have to live under the harsh conditions outlined by their government. Although two political parties exist and rights are outlined in their constitution for freedom of speech and freedom of religion etc. citizens who tend to criticize the government at any level is arrested, severely tortured, re-educated(by sending to camps where they have to labour under harsh condition, or murdered).

I was appalled after reading various articles on the state of human rights in the country and deeply shocked to know that North Koreans have been living under such harsh conditions even at this age and time. Some of the facts I gleaned from reading the article include:

• Television and radio sets handed out are modified by the Government so that no foreign broadcasts are received by the citizens. Anyone in violation or any citizen who has modified such a set to receive foreign broadcasts are imprisoned and subjected to severe punishment.
• There have been reports that biological and chemical weapons have been tested on inmates of prisons.
• Severe punishments such as beatings (resulting in death), confinement to smaller cells which prevent either standing up or lying down, hanging prisoners by their wrists etc are common practices in detention camps in North Korea.
• No citizen is allowed to travel out of North Korea without obtaining legal permission from the Government.
• Females who flee to China and are forced to return back are imprisoned and if pregnant are either forced to under go abortions in the prison or their babies are killed in front of them when they are born.
• Entire families are punished for “crimes” committed by one person of the family.

And the list goes on and on..

May Almighty Allah save us from such Governments and conditions. Ameen!