Posted on 06/21/2009 11:09:37 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
PARIS (Herald de Paris et Cie.) - Before Laura Ling and Euna Lee became household names for entirely the wrong reason; before North Korean missile tests; before UN resolutions for violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Laura’s sister, investigative reporter Lisa Ling, sneaked into North Korea for The National Geographic Channel’s EXPLORER series, in 2006, posing as a member of a humanitarian eye surgery team. The end result was a documentary titled, “Undercover in North Korea.”
Lisa’s hour-long Undercover in North Korea defied Kim Jong Il’s ban on outside journalists, and offered a glimpse of life above the 38th parallel previously unseen by the rest of the world. What Lisa and her team reported was a North Korea frought with humanitarian problems like famine, malnutrition, and almost non-existent healthcare. The Citizens of North Korea were portrayed as having been all but brainwashed by fear.
It has long been known that Kim regularly punishes, arrests, or worse, members of entire families, when someone breaks one if his many laws. This is his way of supressing opposition to his rule. It is, therefore, not inconceivable that Laura Ling was detained and subsequently convicted for her sister Lisa’s “grave crime they against the Korean nation”. Is it possible? Everything is possible under Kim.
Much has been made of the harsh, 12-year sentence Laura Ling and Euna Lee were handed for what amounted to an illegal border crossing. In most countries, such an offense garners little more than deportation, unless other crimes were committed on the infiltrated country’s soil. What was so unique about the possibility that Lisa Ling is being punished for her sister’s illegal entry and recording of North Korea is that Lisa’s documentary, which has been pulled from the National Geographic website, might offer a clue about the sentence.
Lisa Ling’s undercover documentary discusses #22, a prisoner work camp where entire families are sent to work hard labor in a prisoner work mine. Facilities like #22 are internment camps whose conditions are so poor that it is explained you have a better chance of dying than completing your sentence. This is exactly the kind of work camp Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to spend the next twelve years in.
Be clear, Lisa Ling did not cause her sister to be arrested, and regardless the result holds no responsibility for the illegal and inhumane incarceration of her sister and Euna Lee. However, trying to understand how the North Korean government might view the arrival of two American journalists, who may or may not have been trying to enter North Korea, offers a possible glimpse into how we may have arrived at this terrible situation.
There are innumerable reasons why Laura Ling and Euna Lee should be released, immediately. If, however, they were convicted for “crimes” committed by Laura Ling’s sister, that needs to be reason #1.
Why does it sound like they crossed over? Because a rogue regime that kidnapped South Koreans and Japanese in the past says they did? It was indeed payback time and they were probably nowhere near the border.
And if National Geographic did indeed remove the documentary, Kim Mentally il Jung won again, didn’t he?
Nope, they were arrested because they made and illegal entry into N. Korea. They could have been sentenced to 12 years because of her sister however.
Read the facts of the case. Two got away and two didn’t.
It sounds as though they had crossed the border and got caught doing so.
I am cognizant that NK kidnaps, but that isn’t the case here IMO.
You might try reading some past threads on this subject. The women had a photographer with them, an American, and he warned them not to cross over, he turned around and went back and was able to make it back to China. The women stupidly kept going. They have themselves to blame for getting arrested, their sentence was probably in retaliation for her sister.
Did not remove it.
These kids are 32 and 36 years old. A little old to still be doing stupid stuff. They were reporting on North Korean refugees in China when they walked across the frozen river that forms the border. North Koreans risk their lives crossing this same river in order to escape. I mean there is stupid, but this was stupid x 100. I simply cannot comprehend. I am at a loss.
Lisa Ling, her sister, at least had a plan. She didn't just wander into North Korea on a whim.
Having said that, I do wish them the best. Their best hope right now is that that ugly little troll who runs the country will just die soon. Perhaps his son will have a soul, or at least more intelligence than a swamp rat.
You know what I saw docuemntary on National Geogrpahic Channel AIT YEAH I THINK SO it was totally hit piece on NK rightfully so
bttt
Laura's sister, investigative reporter Lisa Ling, sneaked into North Korea for The National Geographic Channel's EXPLORER series, in 2006, posing as a member of a humanitarian eye surgery team. The end result was a documentary titled, "Undercover in North Korea." Lisa's hour-long Undercover in North Korea defied Kim Jong Il's ban on outside journalists, and offered a glimpse of life above the 38th parallel...The problem with this theory is, it's likely that no one ever saw the "documentary". :')
I saw it. It was a documentary about a doctor doing eye surgery on North Korean civilians just as described and they had NK handlers with her at all times, so she didn’t “sneak” in. However, obviously they came home and applied a critical eye. The creepiest part was when cataract patients removed their bandages for the first time and fell on their knees thanking “Dear Leader” for the gift of sight. Also a moment where the Korean version of Ivan Drago berates a photographer for lying down near a statue of Kim in order to get a better shot. One must always remain standing in the presence of the Dear Leader’s statue apparently. It’s available free on YouTube and I recommend everybody watch it. The NKs would grab anyone that gave them a negotiating edge so I doubt the doc had anything to do with it.
Thanks Callahan. Wholeheartedly agree.
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