MOFAT ON ROK VOTING DURING UNGA 3RD COMMITTEE

UNCLAS SEOUL 001701 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KS KN PGOV PHUM PREL UN SUBJECT: MOFAT ON ROK VOTING DURING UNGA 3RD COMMITTEE SESSION ¶1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on 10/26 to Cho Tae-ick, Director of MOFAT's Human Rights and Social Affairs Division, seeking ROKG support for human rights resolutions on Iran, Burma, and the DPRK, the biennial U.S. elections resolution, and ROK opposition to "defamation of religions" resolutions and non-action motions during the UNGA Third Committee Meetings in November. ¶2. (SBU) Cho said that, broadly speaking, he anticipated no change in traditional ROK voting patterns. He noted that Seoul was a co-sponsor on the Burma resolution and fully backed the DPRK resolution; voting for the Iran resolution would be tough for Korea, and he predicted Seoul would again abstain. Cho related that the ROK would support the biennial U.S. elections resolution. He noted that, like Washington, Seoul had serious concerns about the vague nature of what constituted "defamation of religion" and agreed that the term was open to broad interpretation and abuse. The ROK would also join with the United States in opposing non-action motions, concurring with the USG view that such moves were intended to limit debate. STEPHENS