News From Sen. Sam Brownback

Brownback Condemns North Korea Nuclear Test

Rogue regime tests despite warnings from U.S., China and U.N.

Monday, October 9, 2006

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today strongly condemned a nuclear test by North Korea and asked President Bush to work with the United Nations on a swift and decisive response as well as a unified effort to protect and accept North Korean refugees. North Korea reported that they tested a nuclear weapon Monday morning local time and South Korea confirmed unnatural seismic activity last night at 9:36 p.m. EDT in the North Hamkyung province.

"We will fight tyranny with freedom. We call on freedom-loving nations around the world, especially the United States, to take every North Korean refugee that legally seeks entry into their country," said Brownback. “If the North Korean regime will not help its people, than we must do everything we can, along with the international community, to help North Korean refugees all over the world. Over a million North Koreans have died of starvation, and it will only get worse as this rogue regime isolates itself further from the world while more and more people flee such a desperate situation."

Brownback called on all appropriate agencies to accelerate efforts to admit North Korean refugees currently trapped in other countries and to negotiate a path to protect those currently in China. He asked the president to work with China to recognize North Korean refugees and for China to formally announce a policy of nonrefoulment of North Korean refugees. Brownback also called on the United States and the international community for assistance in handling the cost and burden of refugees from this crisis.

Brownback continued, "The world community is unanimous in condemning North Korea for this nuclear test. This is a clear sign that the rogue regime in North Korea is desperate and has no interest in peace and no interest in helping its people. The North Korean people are starving while the military regime spends its limited resources on a nuclear weapons program."

Late last week, the United Nations Security Council, which includes China, Japan, Russia and the United States, called for North Korea to stop any testing or it would face consequences, with the head of the UNSC calling for "severely punitive measures" if a test was carried out. The Security Council called any possibly nuclear weapons test by North Korea as, “clear threat to international peace and security.

Senator Brownback chairs the Helsinki Commission and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.


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