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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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 Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 5:39 am Post subject: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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SEOUL � When Shin Dong-hyuk published his first-hand memoir of a life spent entirely inside a North Korean concentration camp in 2007, it garnered little attention in South Korea.
Then last year, Mr. Shin�s story of brutality inside the North Korean gulag gained global notoriety after �Escape from Camp 14,� a new account written by journalist Blaine Harden, became a bestseller.
High-profile TV appearances, a movie deal and over 20 translations later, the Korean version of �Escape� finally reached South Korea in March. At a launch event for the local version of the book on Thursday in Seoul, Mr. Shin had strong words for some South Koreans� indifference toward human rights violations inside the North.
He argued that South Korea should be put on trial next to the North Korean regime for turning a blind eye, should the International Criminal Court decide to preside over the case. |
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/05/02/north-korea-prison-escapee-slams-indifference/ |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 7:09 am Post subject: |
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| Nothing can be done aside from bringing down the regime. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Quote: |
SEOUL � When Shin Dong-hyuk published his first-hand memoir of a life spent entirely inside a North Korean concentration camp in 2007, it garnered little attention in South Korea.
Then last year, Mr. Shin�s story of brutality inside the North Korean gulag gained global notoriety after �Escape from Camp 14,� a new account written by journalist Blaine Harden, became a bestseller.
High-profile TV appearances, a movie deal and over 20 translations later, the Korean version of �Escape� finally reached South Korea in March. At a launch event for the local version of the book on Thursday in Seoul, Mr. Shin had strong words for some South Koreans� indifference toward human rights violations inside the North.
He argued that South Korea should be put on trial next to the North Korean regime for turning a blind eye, should the International Criminal Court decide to preside over the case. |
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/05/02/north-korea-prison-escapee-slams-indifference/ |
Guess he's figured out how to sell more copies of his book.
What does he want South Korea to do exactly?
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 5:20 am Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
What does he want South Korea to do exactly?
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
I think the guy has a point though.
The ROK could put pressure on the North.
They could bring up the issue at high-level meetings.
They could link aid specifically to reforms.
They could publicise the issue more widely in the south. In education, schools, the media.
They could try to engage China in the issue, with a view to diplomatic pressure.
Issues like this were glossed over during the sunshine policy. Ten years ago most ROK media portrayed the north as innocent victim and america as the architect of all koreas problems.
It would befit the ROK to show a more active concern on this issue. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 5:40 am Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| Julius wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
What does he want South Korea to do exactly?
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
I think the guy has a point though.
The ROK could put pressure on the North.
They could bring up the issue at high-level meetings.
They could link aid specifically to reforms.
They could publicise the issue more widely in the south. In education, schools, the media.
They could try to engage China in the issue, with a view to diplomatic pressure.
Issues like this were glossed over during the sunshine policy. Ten years ago most ROK media portrayed the north as innocent victim and america as the architect of all koreas problems.
It would befit the ROK to show a more active concern on this issue. |
It was a more legitimate complaint when the Sunshine Policy was alive and well. At this point, it's not like there's a whole lot of love between the two countries, and pressing the DPRK on human rights issues is essentially an existential threat to the regime. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:05 am Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| Julius wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
What does he want South Korea to do exactly?
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
I think the guy has a point though.
The ROK could put pressure on the North.
They could bring up the issue at high-level meetings.
They could link aid specifically to reforms.
They could publicise the issue more widely in the south. In education, schools, the media.
They could try to engage China in the issue, with a view to diplomatic pressure.
Issues like this were glossed over during the sunshine policy. Ten years ago most ROK media portrayed the north as innocent victim and america as the architect of all koreas problems.
It would befit the ROK to show a more active concern on this issue. |
Well, I'm not sure if his point about SK being placed on trial is a good one. Otherwise, shouldn't everyone be on trial then? - USA, China, NK, SK, etc. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
Exactly. They have to protect their own first. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| Julius wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
What does he want South Korea to do exactly?
Having a psychopathic neighbor with nuclear capability their hands are rather tied. |
I think the guy has a point though.
The ROK could put pressure on the North.
They could bring up the issue at high-level meetings.
They could link aid specifically to reforms.
They could publicise the issue more widely in the south. In education, schools, the media.
They could try to engage China in the issue, with a view to diplomatic pressure.
Issues like this were glossed over during the sunshine policy. Ten years ago most ROK media portrayed the north as innocent victim and america as the architect of all koreas problems.
It would befit the ROK to show a more active concern on this issue. |
Over the years the U.S has done most/all of those things to a greater or lesser degree. Especially engaging China. But China has made it clear that they (at least for the present) are not interested in any meaningful change that may threaten their own interests.
Regime collapse threatens their interests as they foresee millions of refugees streaming across the border.
If the most powerful country in the world can not make China or the North budge...South Korea isn't going to have much more of an impact.
And anyway putting additional pressure on the North is far more likely to lead to an escalation of tensions and intermittent hostility like the recent naval engagement and the shelling of that island. Not to a kinder gentler regime. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:33 am Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| But China has made it clear that they (at least for the present) are not interested in any meaningful change that may threaten their own interests. |
I think you're referring to regime change in general here.
Neither the US nor China has made an issue of these slave camps specifically however. Has it even been raised at diplomatic level?
Its shocking that in the 21stc- after all the experience of the Boer war/ Holocaust/ russian gulags that the world largely ignores the existence of these modern day death camps. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:23 am Post subject: Re: North Korea Prison Escapee Slams �Indifference� |
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| Julius wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| But China has made it clear that they (at least for the present) are not interested in any meaningful change that may threaten their own interests. |
I think you're referring to regime change in general here.
Neither the US nor China has made an issue of these slave camps specifically however. Has it even been raised at diplomatic level?
Its shocking that in the 21stc- after all the experience of the Boer war/ Holocaust/ russian gulags that the world largely ignores the existence of these modern day death camps. |
You know - when you are trying to get a lunatic to stop building more nuclear bombs that he keeps saying he'll drop on you, the state of his prisons is the least of your concerns. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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