HRC

ADMUN 2015

HRC - Human

Rights Council

Issues
Compilation & Research: Rabiya Altaf,
Secretary General ADMUN 2015.

Mohammad
&
Sania

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: NORTH KOREA & BURMA

Human Rights for everyone, everywhere.
including children being arbitrarily held in political

Your Chairpersons:

My name is

prison camps and other detention facilities where they

Mohammed

are subjected to human rights violations like forced

AlKhatib. Im

labour, denial of food as punishment, torture and

honored to chair

public executions in North Korea. HRC has always

the Human Rights

been a challenging committee and I believe that this

Committee with

year's delegates will break the back of the beast.

Sania in ADMUN
2015. The HRC is
Mohammad AlKhatib

basically the heart

of MUN as it discusses every individuals right in this

enormous world. HRC ADMUN 2015 will be
discussing two major human right violations in this
world. One of the topics on our hands is the fact that
Burma's citizens are exposed to multiple human rights
violations mainly towards Muslims. Our second topic
is about the hundreds of thousands of people
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Sania

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Humanitarian Situation in North Korea

North Korea, properly known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, continues to violate basic
human rights. The people of North Korea continually face:
torture
famine
enslavement executions
Any attempt to flee will result in punishment with ranges depending on the offense and who administers
the punishment. The North Korean government recognizes their constitution and makes significant
strides it protect it. The people have endured harsh living conditions which threaten citizens everyday
life. The citizens face punishment, food shortages, and civil liberty violations.
Imprisonment:
Citizens caught violating any state law can be tortured or be exiled to a prison camp. Those arrested for
criminal or political violations face torture by officials who have two jobs, one is to seek out confessions,
bribes, and information; second is to train the detainees proper obedience. The most common forms of
torture include: sleep deprivation, beatings with various objects, kicking and slapping, and sitting or
standing for hours on end. There are other forms of torture that involve being handcuffed, tied to a pole,
and then beaten, whereas female violators face sexual torture in addition to other forms. Moreover, some
violators are sent to prisons camps, or force labor camps. The violators family, including all men,
women, and children, are forced into these camps. Although North Korea does not recognize or
acknowledge their existence to other authorities, their presence is known by the 200,000 souls inhabiting
the camps.
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Food shortage:
North Korea faces another human rights violation as well; the government cannot and will not supply an
adequate amount of food to its people. According to an article in World Report, In November 2012, the
World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that 2.8 million
vulnerable people, equal to slightly more than 10 percent of all North Koreans, face under- nutrition and
a lack of vital protein and fat in their daily diet. The reason behind such a massive food shortage is due
to the governments lack of concern for the general public but the concern for military and other
government officials. The food policy favors any military personnel and government officials, leaving
local citizens without the proper nourishment needed.
Questions to consider while preparing a position paper:
1. What preventions, if any, does your nation have against human rights violations?
2. What action, is any, has your nation taken in response to the violations taking place in North Korea?
3. What aid has your nation provided the North Koreans with? 4. What measures should the UN take to
address this issue?

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Humanitarian situation in Myanmar
Burma or Myanmar?
Myanmar was called Burma uptil 1989 after
which it was changed to the Republic of the Union
of Myanmar when the military junta enacted the
Adaptation of Expression Law. Many political and
ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to
use "Burma" because they do not recognize the
legitimacy of the ruling military government or its
authority to rename the country.
However, because not all nations recognize the
country's current military leadership, not all
recognize the name change. The United Nations
uses Myanmar, defaulting to the nomenclature wishes of the country's rulers, but the United States and the United
Kingdom do not recognize the junta and thus still call the country Burma.
Country profile:
Politics: Military rule 1962-2011 gives way to an army-led transition to representative government (civilian
democracy).
Economy: Under British colonial rule, Burma was the richest country in Southeast Asia, awash in rubies, oil, and
valuable timber. Sadly, after decades of mismanagement by post-independence dictators, Myanmar has become one
of the poorest nations in the world. Its economy is under-developed and riddled with corruption.
International: Myanmar is gradually emerging from its international isolation; China is its main ally.
Religion: Myanmar is primarily a Theravada Buddhist society, with about 89% of the population. With only 4% of
its population following Islam, Muslims are a minority who are treated harshly on a day to day basis.
Whats happening in Burma?
Ethnic cleansing.
To add some context, the Buddhist majority of Burma is victimizing the Muslim minority of Burma.

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A young Karen child soldier in Myanmar

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Additional Links:
! Satellite images of Burma in flames
! Timeline of events and international response
! Pages 130-135: Resolutions
! Human Rights Watch evaluation
Questions to address:

Should UN intervene in clashes between Burmese Buddhists and Rohingya?

If yes, what measures should be taken?

What could UN do to stabilise political situation in Myanmar? (What can be

done about the Burmese government?)

What additional assistance has your country offered?

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