Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would argue, as an American president said, “You have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.” I would suggest that we could do both. We need to press the Chinese. We need to urge the Chinese to allow refugees who want to leave North Korea to leave. We need to urge th

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  With human rights, we're looking at the long term. I think we've made progress with China. Today China's involvement in the international community is much more positive than it was 10 or 20 years ago. With all of these things, it's an ongoing struggle. We need to continue that e

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to be here. [Proceedings continue in camera]

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  North Korea is a difficult country to visit, but there are tours that are offered. Some people go and will actually have an opportunity to visit North Korea as a tourist. There are other groups that visit, a number of NGOs. There are American NGOs and Canadian NGOs that provide

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think Canada can play an important role in this regard. As I mentioned, I think Canada and the United States and other democratic countries share a common set of values, and I think this common sense of priority for human rights and democracy and so forth is important. I think

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Human rights are something that one continues to work on without making dramatic breakthroughs in most cases. I remember very well trying to deal with human rights issues involving the former Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. The progress we made in terms of refuseniks being

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The primary purpose for my going to North Korea was to talk about the possibility of the United States providing humanitarian assistance. As I mentioned, North Korea is a country that isn't able to grow enough food to feed its population. The United States has a policy of basing

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It is hard to identify a particular human right that's more important than others. It seems to me that, when we have to prioritize, freedom of information is one of the most important, because it's only when people have information that they're able to understand what the issues

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The territorial differences are very complicated, but it's extremely important in terms of what we have been doing with North Korea to work together with other countries. The principal countries that have been involved are the so-called six parties—North and South Korea, as well

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Responsibility to protect is something that in international law we've tried to use, but it has to be used delicately when other sovereign states have interests at stake. The responsibility to protect in North Korea is important, but how far we go and what we can do is significa

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In dealing with human rights, one thing we need to do is make sure on the one hand that we continue to criticize and call attention to the problems. We need to continue doing that. On the other hand, I think there is merit and value in engaging the North Koreans and in trying to

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It's important for North Koreans to have some sense of how the world works. If North Korea is going to improve its economy—and they indicate they want to improve the economy—and if they're going to attract foreign investment, they need to have people who understand western econom

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There are limits on people who are allowed to leave North Korea. You have to have permission. Only certain people are allowed to go. There is usually an effort to have someone keep an eye on them. You never meet with a North Korean alone; you always meet with two North Koreans, a

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  We have some experience with the former Soviet Union, and there were a number of occasions when Soviet citizens came to the United States to study. The effect was dramatic in terms of changing their view of the world. All of them went back to the Soviet Union, and some of them we

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  No. North Korea does not have an economy that provides enough food for its population. The North Koreans and the South Koreans have basically the same genetic makeup, yet a North Korean who is 18 years old is five inches shorter than a South Korean of the same age. Keep in mind t