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Swiss Brag of Help to North Korea But Do Not Fund
in Sudan, Explanation Sought
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
June 11 -- In North Korea, the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supports the Pyongyang
Business
School, which offers "senior raking officials" classes in
"logistics strategy, organizational behavior and strategic
management." Given that the Kim Jong-il government for which these
senior
officials work is engaged among other things in torture of those who
try to
leave the country, one wonders what safeguards are in place to ensure
that this
Swiss-funded knowledge does not, in fact, improve the management and
logistics
of oppression.
The
description of the Pyongyang Business School is taken from a four-page
paper,
dated May 2008, by the SDC's Kathi Zellweger. Ms. Zellweger's paper
emphasizes
Switzerland's role in North Korea since 1953, and says that "for over
30
years the two countries have enjoyed good relations. Political dialogue
was
initiated between North Korea and Switzerland in 2003 and continues to
be
conducted on an annual basis, alternatively in Switzerland and in"
North
Korea. " It is said, but not on the
record, that in these yearly meetings, the Swiss bring up human rights.
Enforced work project in DPRK: oppression and
Swiss funding not shown
It was not
possible to get any on the record response from Ms. Zellweger about
whether any
safeguards are in place. But back in 2005, Ms. Zellweger told CNN's
"Talk
Asia" program that "North Koreans are very proud people so
it's very hard for them to admit the difficulties and the poverty is
not so
obvious, it's hidden behind closed doors in apartment blocks. So it's
very
different to let's say, an Africa country." It is unclear if Ms.
Zellweger's distinction between North Korea and Africa is based on
apartment
blocks, or on some implied lack of pride on the Continent.
It
appears, after
asking, that the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation does
not fund any similar programs in, for example, The Sudan. In much of
Europe it
is popular to characterize Sudan has engaged in genocide. This might
explain if
the Swiss do not fund Sudan. But why then North Korea? We aim to have
more on this, watch this site.
* * *
These reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
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