WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Thursday after the Treasury Department announced additional sanctions on individuals in the North Korean regime who commit human rights abuses and engage in censorship activities. The sanctions were called for in H.R. 757, legislation Senator Cardin shepherded through the Senate:
"I welcome the Treasury Department’s announcement on additional North Korean human rights-related sanctions, and applaud the Obama Administration for using these strong measures to bring pressure to bear on one of the world's most repressive regimes. Sanctions are a powerful tool in the American diplomatic arsenal, and we wield them to send a clear signal to despotic and authoritarian leaders who harm their own people or sow instability around the world - and to give hope to the oppressed that they do not stand alone. Kim Jong-un must understand that his regime’s human rights record is every bit as much a concern as his nuclear and missile programs and that his actions will not go unnoticed or unchecked. The United States and our allies are watching, and the international community is committed to containing a North Korea that prioritizes weapons over the well-being of its citizens. I will continue to monitor the human rights situation there closely.”
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