Forced to toil alongside political prisoners, they struggle with heavy loads as guards look on
carrying out work and lifting very heavy loads of rocks, it is undoubtedly very hazardous to their health and safety.
“In international law it is recommended that no one under the age of 18 should carry out this type of work, so judging by the videos the Daily Mirror has uncovered these children are under age and should not be doing this work.
“Human rights violations happen across the board right now.”
A recent report by Amnesty International revealed how North Korea has expanded its programme of brutal prison camps. Human rights campaigners said practices including rape, torture, deliberate starvation, forced labour and child murder are carried out at two notorious political prison camps, known as kwanliso 15 and kwanliso 25. Dr Fang added: “In our experience we understand there are people including children who are sent to political prison camps, not because they have committed any criminal offences but rather they have someone in their family who was sent there because they were perceived to be dangerous to the regime. “This is guilt by association. Some children are even born in the camps. “It is possible these children could be the children of political prisoners in a labour camp.” “It is most important the North Korean government opens up to outside human rights monitors like Amnesty and the UN. “Whatever their explanation for using child labour, they have to give justification and we need to know the specifics of the problem to examine how endemic this is.”