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North Korea sanctions should be eased, say Nobel laureates | North Korea sanctions should be eased, say Nobel laureates |
(14 days later) | |
Sanctions imposed on North Korea are hampering health and science and should be eased, a group of three Nobel laureates have said. | Sanctions imposed on North Korea are hampering health and science and should be eased, a group of three Nobel laureates have said. |
They were speaking in Beijing after visiting Pyongyang in what was billed as an attempt to promote dialogue. | They were speaking in Beijing after visiting Pyongyang in what was billed as an attempt to promote dialogue. |
"You cannot turn penicillin into a nuclear bomb," one of them said. | "You cannot turn penicillin into a nuclear bomb," one of them said. |
International sanctions on North Korea were further tightened this year after it claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb and launched a missile into space. | International sanctions on North Korea were further tightened this year after it claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb and launched a missile into space. |
The laureates' visit came as a rare party congress opened in North Korea, with leader Kim Jong-un hailing his country's "great success" in its nuclear advancements. | The laureates' visit came as a rare party congress opened in North Korea, with leader Kim Jong-un hailing his country's "great success" in its nuclear advancements. |
The event is widely seen as a chance for Mr Kim to cement his power, and South Korea urged the foreign delegation not to visit, fearing it would become a propaganda coup for the North. | The event is widely seen as a chance for Mr Kim to cement his power, and South Korea urged the foreign delegation not to visit, fearing it would become a propaganda coup for the North. |
"We didn't come to criticise them," said Aaron Ciechanover, who won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2004. | "We didn't come to criticise them," said Aaron Ciechanover, who won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2004. |
"We really came to converse and to exchange dialogue with students." | "We really came to converse and to exchange dialogue with students." |
On sanctions, he said "you cannot turn penicillin into a nuclear bomb... You don't pressurise via making people sicker". | On sanctions, he said "you cannot turn penicillin into a nuclear bomb... You don't pressurise via making people sicker". |
Foreign visits to North Korea are carefully monitored and public access to information such as the internet strictly limited. | Foreign visits to North Korea are carefully monitored and public access to information such as the internet strictly limited. |
The visit was organised by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation (IPF) and also included Nobel laureate for economics Prof Finn Kydland, Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein and IPF chairman Uwe Morawetz. | |
Nobel laureate for medicine Sir Richard Roberts said he was "quite impressed" with what North Korean scientists had achieved despite sanctions. | Nobel laureate for medicine Sir Richard Roberts said he was "quite impressed" with what North Korean scientists had achieved despite sanctions. |
"This embargo is really hurting the scientists and that's a great shame," he said. | "This embargo is really hurting the scientists and that's a great shame," he said. |
During the visit, the laureates were taken to a hospital on what appeared to be a stage-managed event where a BBC team reported that there may have been no physicians present. Professors Ciechanover and Roberts returned to the hospital a few days later and described it as a fully functioning modern hospital. | |
The latest sanctions, approved by the UN in March, included export bans on materials used in nuclear and military production as well as restrictions on luxury goods and banking. | The latest sanctions, approved by the UN in March, included export bans on materials used in nuclear and military production as well as restrictions on luxury goods and banking. |
A resolution stressed the new sanctions were not intended to have "adverse humanitarian consequences" for civilians, many of whom face financial hardships and shortages of food. | A resolution stressed the new sanctions were not intended to have "adverse humanitarian consequences" for civilians, many of whom face financial hardships and shortages of food. |
Update 20 May 2016: This story has been amended to make clear that two of the laureates returned to the hospital after the BBC's visit. |
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