N Korea accuses Malaysia of colluding with hostile forces, rejects post-mortem

North Korea has accused Malaysia of colluding with "hostile forces" and seemingly upset that authorities had conducted a post-mortem on Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader, against the republic's will.

According to Reuters, North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol read out a statement outside Kuala Lumpur Hospital where the post-mortem was conducted, near midnight yesterday.

Malaysiakini has obtained a copy of the press statement.

"They claimed (conducted) a post-mortem on him that we rejected because he is a diplomatic passport holder and our citizen who is under the consular protection of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

"But, the Malaysian side forced the post-mortem without our permission and witnessing.

"We will categorically reject the results of the post-mortem conducted unilaterally excluding our attendance," said the ambassador.

However, he did not specifically name Kim, only referring him as a North Korean citizen.

Kang Chol complained that Malaysia had refused to release the body after the post-mortem despite efforts by the North Korean embassy through Wisma Putra.

"This is the culmination of the violation of the human rights of and infringing upon our citizen, disregarding the elementary international laws and the consular laws," he said.

Kang Chol also questioned Malaysia's agenda after failing to secure Kim's body following a meeting with the police.

"Today, I met with the high officer of the Malaysian police and strongly demanded him to release the body without further delay but he rejected our demand raising the issue which has nothing to do with clarification of the cause of death.

"This strongly suggests that the Malaysian side is trying to conceal something which needs more time and deceive us and that they are colluding with hostile forces towards us who are desperate to harm us of malice," he said.

Kang Chol then made reference to the "South Korean puppet authorities" and claim of efforts to distract from the scandal of the country's suspended president Park Geun-hye.

"That's why we strongly urge and demand the Malaysian side not to be entangled in a political plot of the hostile forces and to release the body and the result of the post-mortem to us without further delay," he said.

"We don't see this incident simple (sic), further, we will not tolerate at all the attitude of the Malaysian side in collusion with the hostile forces towards our republic.

"We will respond strongly to the moves of the hostile forces towards us with their intent to besmirch the image of our republic, by politicising this incident and sue file (sic) this to the international court," he said.

Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat yesterday said priority will be given to Kim's family members to claim his body.

"Only the North Korean embassy has asked to claim the body, but our priority is the 'next-of-kin' and for them to identify the body, and following that, to ascertain who is the rightful claimant," he said.- Mkini