Mongolian president speaks on freedom, human right in N. Korea

"No tyranny lasts forever. It is the desire of the people to live free, which is the eternal power.”

It has been belatedly learned that Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj, who visited the North for four days from October 28, made the remarks during a lecture at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, North Korea on October 31. The office of the Mongolian president posted the full text of the speech on its Internet homepage Friday.

After the lecture, the North`s official Korean Central News Agency reported that the Mongolian president spoke on his country`s politics, economy and history but did not provide details of his speech. The full text of the speech, which has been recently made public, shows that the Mongolian leader emphasized freedom and human rights in a country that strictly controls people`s lives.

"Mongolia is a country respecting human rights and freedoms, upholding rule of law and pursuing open policies," Elbegdorj said in the lecture. "Mongolia holds dear the fundamental human rights – freedom of expression, right to assembly and the right to live by his or her own choice."

The Mongolian leader also made unreserved remarks on topics that the North could have taken sensitively, including nuclear weapons development and capital punishment. "Since June 2009, Mongolia has fully stopped capital punishment. We stand for full abolishment of capital punishment," he said. "Twenty one years ago, Mongolia declared a nuclear-weapon-free zone…Mongolia prefers ensuring the nation`s security by political, diplomatic and economic means."

Elbegdorj offered to take questions but no student asked questions. "No questions were asked, but the audience of professors and students offered a lengthy applause until the president left the audience," the Mongolian presidential office said on its homepage. "The topic of the lecture was proposed by the North Korea`s side. The Mongolian president was advised not to use the words `democracy` and `market economy` in his lecture."