North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un
The UN Security Council on Monday
unanimously imposed new sanctions on
North Korea , slapping a ban on textile
exports and restricting shipments of oil
products to punish Pyongyang for its sixth
and largest nuclear test .
With backing from China and Russia , the
council adopted a US -drafted sanctions
resolution just one month after banning
exports of coal , lead and seafood in
response to North Korea ’s launch of an
intercontinental ballistic missile.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the
tough new measures were a message to
Pyongyang that “ the world will never
accept a nuclear- armed North Korea , ”
but she also held out the prospect of a
peaceful resolution to the crisis .
“ We are not looking for war . The North
Korean regime has not yet passed the
point of no -return, ” Haley told the
council .
“ If it agrees to stop its nuclear program ,
it can reclaim its future . If it proves it
can live in peace, the world will live in
peace with it .
“ If North Korea continues its dangerous
path , we will continue with further
pressure. The choice is theirs .”
The South Korean government welcome
the resolution , calling it a “ grave
warning that ( North Korea ’s ) continued
provocations will only intensify its
diplomatic isolation and economic
pressure. ”
“ North Korea must realize that
denuclearization is the only way to
guarantee its security and economic
development ,” a statement added.
During tough negotiations , the United
States dropped initial demands for a full
oil embargo and a freeze on the foreign
assets of North Korean leader Kim Jong -
Un in a bid to win support from China
and Russia .
The resolution instead bans textile
exports , cuts off natural gas shipments to
North Korea , places a ceiling on
deliveries of refined oil products and caps
crude oil shipments at their current level .
It bars countries from issuing new work
permits to North Korean laborers sent
abroad and seeks to phase out the
practice by asking countries to report on
the date for ending existing contracts .
Some 93, 000 North Koreans work abroad ,
providing Kim’ s regime with a source of
revenue to develop its missile and
nuclear programs , according to a US
official familiar with the negotiations .
Under the measure, countries are
authorized to inspect ships suspected of
carrying banned North Korean cargo but
must first seek the consent of the flag -
state .
Joint ventures will be banned and the
names of senior North Korean official
and three entities were added to a UN
sanctions blacklist that provides for an
assets freeze and a global travel ban .
It was the eighth series of sanctions
imposed on North Korea since it first
tested a nuclear device in 2006 .
Big mistake’ to avoid talks
The United States and its allies argue that
tougher sanctions will pile pressure on
Kim ’s regime to come to the negotiation
table to discuss an end to its nuclear and
missile tests.
Russia and China are pushing for talks
with North Korea, but their proposal for
a freeze on Pyongyang’ s missile and
nuclear tests in exchange for suspending
US -South Korean military drills has been
rejected by the United States .
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia
told the council it would be a “big
mistake to underestimate this Russia -
China initiative ” for a so-called freeze -
for -freeze , adding that Moscow would
“ insist on it being considered .”
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi again
called for talks “ sooner rather than
later .”
China , North Korea’ s sole ally and main
trading partner , had strongly objected to
an oil embargo initially sought by the
United States out of fear that it would
bring the North ’s economy to its knees.
Instead, the level of crude oil is capped to
the four million barrels it currently
receives from a Chinese pipeline , while
deliveries of refined oil products are
limited to 500, 000 barrels for three
months from October 1 and to two
million barrels from January 1 for a
period of 12 months .
That would amount to a 10 percent cut in
oil products , according to the US Energy
Information Administration, which
estimates annual exports to North Korea
at nearly 2 .2 million barrels .
The US official said the ban on textile
exports would deprive North Korea of
some $726 million in annual revenue .
Washington has said military action
remains an option in dealing with
Pyongyang and threatened to cut
economic ties with countries that
continue to trade with the it .
Earlier, North Korea said it would not
accept any chastisement over its nuclear
and missile program , which it says is
vital to stave off the threat of an
American invasion, and threatened to
cause the US “ the greatest pain and
suffering it had ever gone through in its
entire history ,” in an official statement .
Pyongyang has staged a series of missile
tests in recent months that appeared to
bring much of the US mainland into
range .
It followed up with a sixth nuclear test
on September 3 , its largest to date, which
it said was a miniaturized hydrogen
bomb.
Source: punchng
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