Filed under: North Korea | Tags: Concentration Camp, English, espionage, euna lee, government, human rights, hunger, Kim Jong Il, labor, laura ling, missile, North Korea, nuclear, police, prison, starvation, torture, treatment, trial, TV
Some speculators are claiming that Laura Ling and Euna Lee, the two American journalists captured by North Korean guards back in March, and who recently went on trial for espionage, will not actually go to a typical “hard labor camp”. Their sentence, handed out early this week, put a 12-year incarceration in front of their eyes. As scary and ominous as that may sound, I’ve been hearing a lot of talk of them actually not having to serve the full sentence, or the sentence as we imagine it. As these girls are journalists, North Korea might have several options. First, they might consider treating them well, knowing that upon any release in the future, they will tell their story to the world. That, of course, will only be the case if they are ever released. This Asia Times article claims that they might even be sent to a state guest house where their “hard labor” will consist of using their training and skills to help the North Korean government, TV stations, or English training.
So who really knows? Time will tell. And time will also tell how far America is willing to go in protecting these girls. I hate to imagine the day when a decision must be made as we’re staring at a scale with two American girls on one side, and a potential global nuclear threat on the other. At the moment it seems all the United States is trying to do is keep these two issues as separate as possible.
Filed under: North Korea | Tags: China, emergency, family, freedom, fund, government, hunger, medicine, North Korea, prison, rescue, torture, visa
Alpha Relief has just set up an “Emergency Rescue Fund”. This is their description of what it is:
Recently we were in China and heard about two teenage brothers who urgently needed to renew their Chinese visas. They have a Chinese father and North Korean mother. Because their dad is Chinese, China will give them a visa that lets them legally stay in China. But the problem is that the boys don’t have the money to pay for the visas. If they’re forced to leave China and go to North Korea, as believers they are at great risk. Their mother is in prison in North Korea because the government found out she is a Christian. So obviously she can’t help pay for her boys’ visas. Right now she’s suffering in North Korea, hungry, malnourished, and of course dealing with horrific prison conditions. She needs medicine, food and her freedom.
This Emergency Rescue Fund will help in situations like this. Our reaction time in stories like this is extremely important. So with the ERF we will be able to immediately impact the lives of people like this family split up because of persecution.
If you would like to get involved with how Alpha Relief is helping the persecuted church in North Korea, go to their Emergency Rescue Fund.
Filed under: North Korea | Tags: Concentration Camp, David Hawk, detention center, execution, freedom, Gulag, handcuffs, human rights, hunger, North Korea, police, prison, rations, starvation, torture
In order to further describe the labor/re-education camps in North Korea, I’ve taken some excerpts from “The Hidden Gulag” by David Hawk of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. You can find this report online at their website.
“There were no public executions during this time at Kwan-li-soNo. 14, but many prisoners died of malnutrition and disease, some twenty-five were executed by guards, and even more died from mining accidents. In one execution, a KIM Chul Min was executed for collecting, without authorization, ripe chestnuts that had fallen to the ground from a tree at the mine entrance. Another hunger-crazed prisoner, KAL Li Yong, died after having his mouth smashed by a feces-covered stick for having stolen a leather whip, soaked it in water, and then ate the softened leather. Kwan-li-so No. 14 Kaechon”
“Rations were meager: only some 450 grams (16 ounces) per day of rice mixed with beans. Many prisoners died in the winter from malnutrition, scabies and other skin diseases, and paratyphoid. Prisoners were beaten by guards. Other infractions and mistakes resulted in longer prison sentences. Those who attempted and failed to escape, or who initially succeeded in escaping but were caught, were brought back for public execution, after which their corpses would be displayed for a day.”
“The torture at Moonsu was particularly severe. Accused of deliberately infiltrating the security service, Kim was forced to kneel for long periods with a wooden bar placed behind and between his knees and calves. He was suspended by his handcuffed wrists from his prison-cell bars, and he was submerged up to his waist for long periods in tanks filled with cold water.”
“CHOI Yong Hwa assisted in the delivery of babies, three of whom were promptly killed, at the Sinuiju do-jip-kyul-so(provincial detention center) in mid-2000.
■ Former Detainee #8 witnessed six forced abortions at Chongjin do-jip-kyul-soin mid-2000.
■ Former Detainee #9 witnessed ten forced abortions at Onsong ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae(labor-training camp) in mid-2000.
■ YOU Chun Sik reported that four pregnant women at the bo-wi-bu (National Security Agency) police station in Sinuiju were subjected to forced abortions in mid-2000.
■ Former Detainee #21 reported two baby killings at the Onsong In-min-bo-an-seong(People’s Safety Agency) police station in late 1999.
■ Former Detainee #24 helped deliver seven babies who were killed at the Backto-ri, South Sinuiju In-min-bo-an-seongpolice detention center in January 2000.
■ Former Detainee #25 witnessed four babies killed at Nongpo In-min-bo-an-seong police detention center in Chongjin in late 1999, and another six pregnant women subjected to forced abortion.
■ Former Detainee #26 witnessed three forced abortions and seven babies killed at the Nongpo jip-kyul-so(detention center), Chongjin City, in May 2000.”
