GUNFIRE INCREASES ALONG N.KOREA-CHINA BORDER (N.K. Escape Attempts/Public Executions?) (DEFECTOR)

Sankei MSN Japanese Website (via Yahoo Japan) ^ | 12 July 2009 | Sankei Shimbun (translated to English)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Personal take:

Looks like things are really happening, folks.

Also keep in mind the young, 25-year-old heir apparant Prince Kim Jong Un has now been given command of both the North Korean secret police, but also all border guard divisions, and is reported to be in Pyongyang exercising this power with his KPA mentors.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Ping!

[GladesGuru]

It will be interesting - Obama didn’t say anything when Iran began to boil over against the overt tyranny of the collective’s “Elite”.

First the Mullahs in Iran, now the DPRN - what’s a Statist to do?

Much more to the point is “What will Obama do?”.

Is there a “Present” button in the Oval Office?

[DB]

Many of us are so busy dealing with our daily problems that we don’t reflect on how lucky we are to have been born in America or had the ability to immigrate here.

Stories like this put our troubles in perspective...

[Brad from Tennessee]

China's problems with refugees can only get worse. One solution would be to create a Korean liberation movement by training and arming refugees. These could infiltrate back home with Chinese advisers to start an uprising. When the regime was overthrown China would have control over the new government.

[AmericanInTokyo]

He may arrogantly and foolishly think that by offering a well timed and worded apology or two to Pyongyang (the first one to spring two S.F. liberals out of there under house arrest in a plush goverment guest house in N.K.) backed up with a senior kowtow visit to the DPRK, can stall it somehow. How wrong he will be (and is!).

One thing is for sure, Obama brings NO HOPE to the "Boys in the Camp", i.e those in a North Korean concentration camp who have ways of hearing about the United States and whether or not in fact if our leaders are courageous against and in the fac of Pyongyang, or just abject blobs of meaningless, appeasing jello.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It could become heavily polarize and factioned, yes, and then turn into a proxy war, with China and Russia at odds, and with their own respective players, much as little Cambodia was. One bad buy (Heng Samrin = Moscow backed), trying to overthrow another bad guy (Pol Pot = Peking backed).

North Korea could go such an interesting route. Point is, to get to those nukes before someone else does when all chaos breaks out and order collapses.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, Yonhap quoted Sankei, too. The follwing is the Yonhap article featured on Chosun Ilbo. It appears that cracks are developing from the top and spreading downward. We could see the 'real change' before the end of this year.

"北中 접경지대서 매일 총성"연합뉴스

입력 : 2009.07.12 13:42

최근 북한과 중국의 접경지대에서는 거의 매일 탈북자 저격 등을 위한 총소리가 들린다고 산케이(産經)신문이 강제수용소의 실상을 담은 수기 ’평양의 수족관 : 북한 강제수용소에서 보낸 10년’의 저자인 탈북자 강철환씨의 발언을 인용해 12일 보도했다.

신문은 강씨가 “총성은 북한 인민군의 탈북자 저격, 뇌물을 받고 탈북을 눈감아 준 군인들을 공개처형하는 소리”라고 말했다고 전했다.

신문에 따르면 북한 내의 식량난은 한층 심각한 상태여서 탈북하려는 사람은 앞으로도 늘 것으로 보인다.

강씨는 이런 배경에 대해 “지금 북한 내부의 경제, 식량난은 극히 악화해 있어 주민은 ’아사냐 탈북이냐’의 양자선택에 몰려 있다. 인민군은 30만명을 접경지대에 배치해 탈북자들을 저격하고 있다”고 산케이에 말했다.

이어 산케이는 강씨가 “중국 측의 탈북자 강제송환이 없으면 100만명이 넘어올 것”이라며 “김정일(국방위원장)은 주민이 달아나, 체제가 무너지는 것을 두려워하고 있다. 한국과 미국, 일본은 중국의 강제송환을 중지시켜야 한다”고 주장했다고 전했다.

강씨는 “식량난 때문에 군(軍)이 곡창지대 등으로 이주해 주민으로부터 식량을 빼앗고 있다. 지난해 수확 전부터다”라며 “군과 주민 간 생존을 건 전쟁이 시작됐다. 주민은 권력층에 증오를 갖고 있다”고 말했다고 신문은 전했다.

산케이는 “한국에 들어온 탈북자는 현재 약 1만8천명”이라며 “강씨는 탈북자 문제가 ’베를린 장벽 붕괴’의 한반도판으로, 북한 붕괴를 가져올 가능성이 있다고 지적했다”고 덧붙였다.

[Tainan]

I wonder if anyone has told Barry about this yet?

[Brad from Tennessee]

[. . .and with their own respective players, much as little Cambodia was.]

Yes. Vietnam, sponsored by Russia, finally invaded Cambodia and destabilized Pol Pot.

In addition to the nukes North Korea is supposed to have chemical and biological weapons.

[AmericanInTokyo]

What difference would it make? /sarc

[Mister Muggles]

Gee...communist totalitarianism...aint it grand? </sarc>

[AdmSmith]

According to the article you quoted there are 18 000 defectors in South Korea. But, it is much easier to escape to China, especially during the winter when they cross the river. Do we have any estimate of the NKoreans in China and how many that are sent back to the “dear Leader”?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

When push comes to shove, 0bama has consistently sided with tyrants, from Ahmadinejad to Chavez to Zelaya.

It reflects his own world view. Democracy is messy, centralized government is “orderly”.

[TigerLikesRooster]

At its peak, there were 300K N. Korean in the border region of China. Due to stepped-up clampdown by China, the number was drastically reduced. Maybe less than 1/10 of what it used to be. However, it may be rising again.

Many N. Koreans repeat the cycle of escape and capture multiple times.

As for those reaching S. Korea, they usually take the long arduous route(dodging Chinese security) from China's NE border to its SW border with Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam where they link up with S. Korean aid group and come to S. Korea eventually.

[Senator John Blutarski]

AmericanInTokyo wrote: “Personal take: Looks like things are really happening, folks.”

..... Just a quick thank you for taking the time to translate this material and share it with us. It’s like installing a window in a wall where none existed before.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It is out there alright, it is just that irresponsible and/ or lazy or both, US Mass Media do not take the time to highlight it or make it prominent in news cycles back in the USA... they think the American people just want Michael Jackson or Britney Spears or NBA or Nascar. My how I hope that is not the case.

[Islander7]

Show off!

[Islander7]

they think the American people just want Michael Jackson or Britney Spears or NBA or Nascar.

Wrong! That is all the MSM will 'report' because getting into the details of the real world tyrants will expose the plans of our home grown variety to the masses.

Those of us who hunger and thirst for the truth are a danger to these Statists.

[Joe Boucher]

It is easier to escape to China cause that border doesn’t have a million land mines placed on either side.