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Orphans, students and soldiers volunteer to work manual labour and diffcult fields in North Korea

FILE PHOTO: A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo/File Photo
Josh Smith
Orphans, conscripted soldiers, and students - some appearing to be children - are "volunteering" to work manual labour in North Korea, including in coal mines, farms, and large construction projects, the country's state media have reported.
Hundreds of graduates of orphan schools "volunteered to work in difficult fields", according to reports by state news agency KCNA.
The reports did not specify the orphans' ages, but said they had graduated from middle schools, and photos published in state newspapers showed youths who appeared to be in their teens.
On Saturday KCNA reported that more than 700 orphans had volunteered to work on cooperative farms, an iron and steel complex, and in forestry, among other areas.
On Thursday, the agency reported that around 150 graduates from three orphan schools had volunteered to work at coal mines and farms.
"(The graduates of orphan schools) volunteered to work in major worksites for socialist construction out of their will to glorify their youth in the struggle for the prosperity of the country," KCNA said. "They finished their school courses under the warm care of the mother Party."
Drastic measures taken by North Korea to contain COVID-19 have exacerbated human rights abuses and economic hardship for its citizens, including reports of starvation, the United Nations has said.
According to the 2020 U.S. State Department report on human rights practices, in some cases children ages 16 and 17 were enrolled in military-style construction brigades for 10-year periods and subjected to long working hours and hazardous work.
"Students suffered from physical and psychological injuries, malnutrition, exhaustion, and growth deficiencies as a result of required forced labour," the report said, despite North Korean laws banning forced labour.
North Korea has denied reports of human rights abuses, and says the issues are politicized by its enemies.
In a letter to trade unions on Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country had faced its "worst-ever difficulties" in recent years but that its national strength and prestige have been enhanced by the "ennobling loyalty and heroic struggle of the workers" and others.
Recent state media reports have also described university students volunteering to work on major projects, and legions of "soldier-builders" from the country's conscript-filled military working in construction.
Reuters, May 29, 202110:38 AM EEST
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The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
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The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
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Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
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