North Korea: US is world's worst human rights violator

North Korea has said the United States is the “world’s worst violator” of human rights in an angry reaction to new US legislation aimed at improving human rights in the Communist state.

In its first response to the legislation, North Korea said that the North Korean Human Rights Act proves that Washington’s intention is to topple its state.

“The US is the world’s worst violator of human rights as it is killing innocent civilians, including children, everyday after illegally igniting a war against Iraq,” said a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman yesterday.

“The US is so brazen-faced as to cry out for "global security" and talk about "human rights" after reducing Iraq to a sea of blood. Nothing is more disgusting than this behaviour,” the spokesman said.

The legislation requires the US State Department to spend millions of dollars in aid for groups seeking to improve rights in the North, as well as grants for more US-funded radio broadcasts into the isolated nation.

“In the long run, the act is one more declaration of the hostile Korea policy which fully disclosed the US real intention to slander and insult the DPRK, a dignified sovereign state, and topple the socialist system chosen by its people,” the North Korean spokesman said. DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.

“The DPRK is now left with no option but to put spurs to increasing the deterrent force to counter the US by force to the last,” the spokesman said.

International efforts are underway to peacefully resolve a dispute over North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. However, North Korea is refusing to participate in a new round of six-party talks, citing a US “hostile” policy.