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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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 Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject: US Reporters sentenced to 12 yrs in NK labor camp |
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Asshat norks. May as well be a death sentence. I'm sure they'd never be allowed out to report on their findings:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2009/06/08/68/0401000000AEN20090608003600315F.HTML
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N. Korea sentences two U.S. reporters to 12 years in labor camp
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday that two U.S. journalists detained at the border with China in March were sentenced to 12 years in labor camps for illegally entering the country. |
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nene
Joined: 11 Jun 2005
Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow. That really sucks. Seems rather brazen of NK, doesn't it? |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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| nene wrote: |
| Wow. That really sucks. Seems rather brazen of NK, doesn't it? |
How so?
What exactly is anyone going to do about it? |
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Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| That's a bit over kill. A fine with 30 days jail would be more appropriate, if anything, but deportation. The NORKS are retarded as they come. It's foolish to mess around with such retards knowing logic making any sense wouldn't exist in the DPRK. I wouldn't take a trip up there nor recommend it to anyone. It's just plain stupid to place your life in the most corrupt hands, especially without going on an official trip with an official guide out of Beijing. The illegal tourists only chance to live is to escape through China to Laos or Vietnam and that requires cash money to pass GO. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| nene wrote: |
| Wow. That really sucks. Seems rather brazen of NK, doesn't it? |
How so?
What exactly is anyone going to do about it? |
trade them for u... haha
im hoping this is still just a barening move. now that theyve convicted them, we'll have to pay out big for them. we may be talking about food and energy aid for a decade or more. still, i wouldnt give up hope. i think this is just the new leaders way of puffing his chest out, saying he's not afraid of america, to prove himself to older more seasoned political and military leaders there.
now that this line has been crossed, there will be much more publicity about it all and back channels will be made very public. we may even see some high ranking u.s. official in pyongyang (or at least the dmz) in a month or so for negotiations.
obama has already had some harsh words for n. korea. more harsh (or harsher?) than bush or clinton had. im very interested to see where he stands now. this may be one of the biggest foreign policy tests he faces in his first term.
in the mean time, dont give up hope. it wont be over till we see the public face of the administration (pres sec gibbs, sec of state clinton, un amb rice, or the president himself) start shelling out the "no comment" or "we cant comment on ongoing negotiations" then u know its over. |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| They have given them long sentences so they can be used as a diplomatic bargaining chip with the US. If they had given them a 30 day sentence then the American public would not be pressing the US administration to get them released and then DPRK would have nothing to negotiate with. (aside from the nukes) |
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justaguy
Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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These two people illegally entered a place they were not welcome. When there, they engaged in activities that upset those who live there. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Those two people should have known better. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| justaguy wrote: |
These two people illegally entered a place they were not welcome. When there, they engaged in activities that upset those who live there. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Those two people should have known better. |
We have no idea if that's true. For all we know, they may have been abducted on the Chinese side of the boarder. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:53 am Post subject: |
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The harsh sentence may be to deter more people from snooping on North Korea- had they let them go easily, there would be more journalists in the future doing things they're not supposed to be doing.
I'm not justifying it- just looking for an explanation. |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:19 am Post subject: |
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| One of them is a sister of Lisa Ling and Lisa Ling was involved with a series of highly publicized documentaries about the horrors of life in North Korea. Kim Jong-Il is rumored to be furious about her participation in those televised news documentaries and this is his revenge. |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:34 am Post subject: |
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I read a few stories of those camps 'from the inside.' If they are in there for that long, at least one of them will not make it. Brutal life with guards controlling everything and everyone. Rape, execution for escape attempts, very little food, severe beatings for stealing or for even just borrowing ..... that's the actual life they now face.
To say they deserve that is totally misjudged. No frecken way anyone from a sane place like ours will ever think that will happen to them. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:23 am Post subject: |
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basso -
you of all people should know this belongs in the Current Events forum   |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| For all we know, they may have been abducted on the Chinese side of the boarder. |
I was thinking about that possibility, but then I wondered...
What is the likelihood that the Norks would send someone to China for the purpose abducting Americans? China's the Sugar Daddy in the Sino-Nork relationship, and I can't imagine they would be too pleased to have the regime they're helping to keep afloat trying to provoke confrontations with Uncle Sam on Chinese territory. |
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Pluto
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:55 am Post subject: |
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Al Gore was at the 92nd St. Y earlier this week, making jokes about drug addicts. Meanwhile, as of this morning, imprisoned Current.TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee - Gore's employees - are facing further hearings in North Korea.
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Gore has been silent on the issue, Current.TV told their people to not say a word about it. It's no less disconcerting that Gore was, according to the Page Six item, at a fundraiser for Andrew Cuomo earlier in the day, instead of working - doing something, anything - to free his employees from what's probably the worst work-related trip of all time. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's now threatening to put North Korea back on our country's list of "Terror States" as of this morning, and President Obama just told them that we're not playin' when it comes to nuclear proliferation as of yesterday. Things are absolutely getting worse, and it's pretty clear that if North Korea views Ling and Lee as diplomatic pawns, our government sure as hell doesn't.
Gore's got several points of entry he can make: among the few political issues Pyongyang takes "public" is climate change. The North Korean government loves to have their asses kissed, and the Department of State hasn't ruled out Gore's involvement, so him coming simply as a diplomat couldn't be a bad thing.
So what's Gore waiting for? Our government's approval? A PR angle? Whatever it is, it better come quick. There's virtually no idea out there of what Ling and Lee are going through, or how they're being treated. Ling and Lee could be fine. They could simply get deported, get off scot-free. But Lee's got family in South Korea. Who, you know, North Korea doesn't really like. Which is besides Americans, which Ling and Lee both are. |
From Gawker via Reason. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Another American who stood trial in North Korea in 1996 was treated more leniently. Evan C. Hunziker, apparently acting on a drunken dare, swam across the Yalu River dividing North Korea from China.
He was accused of spying and detained for three months before being freed after Richardson, then a congressman, traveled to Pyongyang to negotiate for his release.
The North Koreans wanted Hunziker to pay a $100,000 criminal fine but eventually agreed on a $5,000 payment to settle a bill for a hotel where he was detained.
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I can't believe the US paid a single dime for this idiot.
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