A/HRC/4/15 page 7 C. Freedoms: rights pertaining to security of the person, humane treatment and justice 11. In recent years, there have been some legislative improvements impacting upon the security of the human person. For instance, reforms of the criminal law noted earlier provide more certainty in the application of the law, at least in principle, and in response to the country’s international obligations, as observed by a recent document.4 12. Yet, there are a large number of provisions concerning anti-State activities that give rise to concern due to their excessively broad scope and the way that the regime might use such provisions to repress political dissent. For instance, there are 14 types of anti-State, anti-people crimes; 16 types of crimes of disturbing the national defence system; 104 types of crimes of injuring the socialist economy; 26 types of crimes of injuring the socialist culture; 39 types of crimes of injuring administrative systems; and 20 types of crimes of harming socialist collective life.5 Several may be punished with the death sentence. 13. Given the repressive nature of the State and the Government’s cult-based system of governing by fiat, basic freedoms are markedly constrained. There are continuing reports of violence against the human person committed by State authorities, such as torture, public executions, persecution of political dissidents and substandard prison conditions, despite the legislative improvements noted above. There are a large variety of detention centres ranging from those for political dissidents to those for criminals, as well as re-education camps and forced labour camps. They have various names, such as gwanliso (political labour camp), gyohwaso (long-term prison labour camp), jipgyulso (detention facility) and rodongdanryundae (labour facility). Those who have left the country report various forms of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment.6 This has also been confirmed by a number of interviews which the Special Rapporteur had with refugees whom he met during the year. 14. Freedom of expression and association and access to information are impeded by the closed nature of the State and rigid State control over the information flow and media. According to information received, in October 2006, the authorities threatened independent radio stations run by exiles and operated from another country. Another source indicates that the local police monitor sales of radios so as to ensure that they are pre-tuned to government stations and are sealed before they go on sale. However, despite prohibitions against listening to foreign programmes, the increasing number of radio sets available due to nearby border trade opens the 4 White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea 2006, Korean Institute for National Unification, Seoul, 2006, pp. 67-68. 5 6 Ibid., p. 55. Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, North Korea: Republic of Torture, December 2006 draft; Amnesty International Report 2006: The State of the World’s Human Rights, Amnesty International, London, 2006, pp. 160-161.