The Tragic Fate of Otto Warmbier

US Defense Watch ^ | April 20, 2017 | Ray Starmann

[pboyington]

University of Virginia student, Otto Warmbier, is a prisoner somewhere in the Orwellian hell hole known as North Korea. Otto Warmbier may be suffering a fate tantamount to an inmate of Dachau. At this very moment, Otto Warmbier may be starving, performing slave labor, being beaten or in fact, he may very well be dead.

The tragic fate of Otto Warmbier, is the tragic fate of the millions of North Koreans living in the Gulag Archipelago of Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian nightmare world.

Warmbier, 23, was convicted of conducting “hostile acts against the DPRK”.

Mr. Warmbier was not an intelligence officer working for the CIA and his ‘hostile act’ was not sabotage or espionage.

The so-called hostile act against North Korea committed by college student Warmbier, (who was travelling with a tour group called Young Pioneer Tours), was purloining a propaganda poster off the wall of the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang with the inscription, “Let’s arm ourselves strongly with Kim Jong-il’s patriotism!”

Stealing or harming a poster or other items with the name or image of one of North Korea’s past or present lunatic asylum leaders is considered a serious crime against the state.

On January 2, Warmbier was arrested while in the process of departing North Korea from the Pyongyang airport. The other guests in his tour group all left the country without incident. On February 29, 2016, he “confessed” to stealing a piece of North Korean propaganda to take back to the United States as a “trophy” for someone from his home-town church who offered to pay him for it with the gift of a car worth $10,000.

On March 16, 2016, Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for committing what Warmbier thought was a harmless college prank that could provide him with a new car.

Warmbier was allowed to speak to the kangaroo court that sentenced him. He stated, obviously under emotional and perhaps physical duress:

“I never, never should have allowed myself to be lured by the United States administration to commit a crime in this country, I wish that the United States administration never manipulate people like myself in the future to commit crimes against foreign countries. I entirely beg you, the people and government of the DPRK, for your forgiveness. Please! I made the worst mistake of my life.”

As tensions with North Korea rise and the war drums beat, the State Department continues to make efforts to one, find out Warmbier’s current location in North Korea, two, meet with him and three, to secure his release with the assistance of the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang.

The State Department released the following statement today:

The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the State Department. The Embassy of Sweden continues to request information on the exact location of Mr. Warmbier, and to request access for consular visits with him. However, representatives from the Swedish Embassy have not been granted consular access to Mr. Warmbier since the visit on March 2, 2016. The Department believes Mr. Warmbier’s sentence of 15 years hard labor is unduly harsh for the actions Mr. Warmbier allegedly took. Despite official claims that U.S. citizens arrested in the DPRK are not used for political purposes, it is increasingly clear from its very public treatment of these cases that the DPRK does just that. Mr. Warmbier has gone through the criminal process and has been detained for more than a year. We continue to urge the DPRK to pardon him and grant him special amnesty and immediate release on humanitarian grounds.

The question remains: where is Otto Warmbier? Most distressingly, it is likely Warmbier is being incarcerated in one of North Korea’s penal labor camps for political prisoners known as the Kwalliso.

The internment camps are located in central and northeastern North Korea. They comprise many prison labor colonies in secluded mountain valleys, completely isolated from the outside world. The total number of prisoners is estimated to be 150,000 to 200,000. Yodok camp and Bukchang camp are separated into two sections: One section for political prisoners in lifelong detention, another part similar to re-education camps with prisoners sentenced to long-term imprisonment with the vague hope of eventual release.

The prisoners are forced to perform hard and dangerous slave work with primitive means in mining and agriculture. The food rations are very small, so that the prisoners are constantly on the brink of starvation. In combination with the hard work this leads to huge numbers of prisoners dying. An estimated 40% of prisoners die from malnutrition.

Moreover, many prisoners are crippled from work accidents, frostbite or torture. There is a rigid punishment in the camp. Prisoners who work too slowly or do not obey an order are beaten or tortured. In cases of stealing food or attempting to escape, the prisoners are publicly executed.

As inprisonment in North Korea’s gulag archipelago is life threatening, it is imperative that the State Department continues to lobby for Warmbier’s release, even as tensions continue to rise on the Korean Peninsula.

If you are a religious person, you might want to say a prayer for Otto Warmbier, who at this very moment may be suffering a fate worse than most can imagine.

[Rurudyne]

We should immediately dispatch the Antifa to NK to teach Kim a lesson!

[Reno89519]

Theft and/or vandalism has consequences. Hate he is in jail, in North Korea no less, but he was a thief. Shame on him.

[Still Thinking]

Warm beer? The gulag’s too good for him!

[Reno89519]

And I wish we’d see some 15 year sentences for theft and vandalism in the U.S. Bet that would stop graffiti and tagging, vandalism, and such real quick if we took it seriously. Not pranks, nothing do excuse as a college kid. Theft and vandalism are wrong and sometimes have consequences.

[Art in Idaho]

Prayers up for Otto Warmbier.

Looks like a nice kid. Found this online:

An absolute shame what happened. People will say he was stupid trying to do what he did. I remember a few stupid things I did too when I was a kid but I didn't get 15 years in a Soviet style Gulag. I wonder how many make it to 15 years? Probably none. Given the tensions now, things don't look good.

Part of me, I know it's a fantasy, but I'll say it anyway: Trump says, "Hey Kim, give us back Otto by Noon tomorrow or I'll nuke your *ss. I know exactly where you are."

[wita]

If an estimated 40% die from starvation or malnutrition, how many die from other causes like torture.

If you captured by the Japanese in WWII, the odds were better, slightly over 30% dying from maltreatment.

[VTenigma]

Words to live by. Don’t tempt fate by touring totalitarian regimes that want war with your home country, you may get used as a pawn in a larger game. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[A_perfect_lady]

A tour group in North Korea? Who goes on a “tour” to North Korea?!

[bluejean]

What on Earth inspires people to go to these hellholes in the first place? Entering countries run by psychopaths is taunting lunatics. I feel sorry for the guy, but jeez, grow a brain.

[Piranha]

I am shocked by the lack of sympathy for this boy shown by FReepers, shown by their scolding tone and finger wagging. My heart goes out to Otto Earlier and his family.

[wideminded]

“One common misconception of beer served in the United Kingdom concerns the serving temperature: it is believed that British beer is served warm. In reality, beer in the UK is usually served at cellar temperature (between 10–14 °C (50–57 °F), which is often carefully controlled in a modern-day pub, although the temperature can naturally fluctuate with the seasons.” - Wikipedia

[Persevero]

Nothing but sympathy for the young man here. God have mercy.

[Davy Crocket]

A tour group in North Korea? Who goes on a “tour” to North Korea?!

Stupid people!!

[Falconspeed]

Excellent article. Thanks. Prayers for the young man suffering in a foreign country. North Korea. Wow. Young people can sometimes lack prudence. The prison camps in NK should be shut down immediately by leaders who understand that true power is delivered by the Lord.

[pboyington]

When I was in high school I went to East Berlin in 1982 with my German class. The Stasi tour guide wench told us under no circumstances to leave a restaurant we were in. Of course, being 16, I exited out the side door near the John and walked a couple blocks across East Berlin. For reasons I still dont know, I got in a breadline. Man, that bakery had nothing! No one seemed to notice me. As the line moved, I finally realized, hey moron, what happens when you get to the front of the breadline and have no ID and you open your mouth. I dodged out of the line and headed back. I can still remember an old lady saying, I’ll hold your place! Point being we all do stupid stuff when were young. 15 years for taking a poster. WTF

[caww]

..”Stupid is as stupid does”...

This tells it like it is...

The kid is a real wisea**...it’s not like he wasn’t aware of the numerous warnings and obstacles hindering his ability to even get into North Korea, let alone break the law there.
We have no diplomatic relationship with this country;... he knew that.
NK is very hostile to the US government and US citizens; he knew that.
North Korea has a long history of detaining foreigners and has used jailed Americans in the past;.... he had to know that, as it is one of the selling points of going on a tour (the danger aspect).
Stealing is illegal in NK and in the US; regardless of the penalty ....he knew that.
Not only did he steal from the hotel he was staying at, he took it from a staff only area, so he was already pressing his luck sneaking around in areas he knew he wasn’t supposed to be, most likely looking for something to steal.

[luvbach1]

I visited Czechoslovakia before the fall of communism, reporting to a police station upon arrival as a condition of my visa. I was careful of my conduct at all times. And that regime was benign compared to the Norks.

[jospehm20]

23 years old is a full grown man, not a boy. It feel for him but at 23 he probably should have thought it though a tad bit better.

[righttackle44]

People will say he was stupid trying to do what he did. I remember a few stupid things I did too when I was a kid but I didn't get 15 years in a Soviet style Gulag.

Okay. I'll say it. Both you and Warmbier were stupid for doing stupid things. Shame he's in captivity. I hope we're able to find him and get him released.

But there are reasons parents tell their kids NOT to do stupid stuff. This is one of them. And the stupidity of the car-giving church member should be remembered as well. It should be remembered by hard, swift kick in his six. Me may be a Christian, but he's a stupid Christian.