North Korea's human rights record under the spotlight

(Vatican Radio) North Korea's political and military elite on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. The memorial comes less than a week after his son and successor Kim Jong Un ordered the execution his uncle Jang Song Thaek in a rare public purge.
The leader attended the ceremony to remember his father but a noticeable absentee on the stage was his paternal aunt Kim Kyung Hui, Kim Jong Il's sister and Jang's wife.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called the execution of Kim Jong Un's uncle ``very dramatic and surprising'' and urged the country's neighbours not to take any ``premature actions.''
Lord David Alton is a British Peer and Chairman of the Parliamentary Cross Bench Committee on North Korea
He told Lydia O’Kane the country’s human rights record needs to be addressed by the international community because there is very harrowing evidence that demonstrates that “the egregious violations of human rights are carried out on a scale in North Korea unknown anywhere else in the world.”
He adds that Christians should be on their knees “over the Christmas period praying for the people of North Korea and praying for change…” Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Lord David Alton