by the commentator on 21 September 2014 15:43

Led by a man, Kim Jong-un, who as a youngster is said by people who knew him to have taken delight in torturing pet animals, North Korea has responded to a recent report on its human rights record by describing it is a gay plot, adding that gays do not exist in the secretive communist country.

Rights activists say that in a perverse sense there could be said to be a certain truth to the last part of that statement, at least in so far as anyone accused of being gay is always found guilty -- the secret police does not arrest innocent people, North Korea says -- and then shot.

Last week, North Korea issued a 53,000 word "rebuttal" to a 2014 UN report accusing the regime of "unspeakable" attrocities. Overall, North Korea is estimated by the Black Book of Communism of having killed 2 million people since its inception.

In the regime's rebuttal, as well as in wider state propaganda, it said that North Korea actually had the best rights record in the world. The anti-gay message has been central to rejection of the UN report since April and has been repeated in official circles ever since.

UN chief investigator Michael Kirby's findings were all a result of the fact that he was gay. Kirby was called "a disgusting old lecher with a 40-odd-year-long career of homosexuality."

"This practice can never be found in the DPRK (North Korea)… In fact it is ridiculous for a gay to sponsor dealing with others'.

There have been no demonstrations in Western capitals by gay rights groups over the remarks. Nor have there been any significant rallies or demonstrations against North Korea's rights record generally.

In the latest North Korean response, witnesses quoted in the UN report were described as, "human scum who betrayed their homeland and people."