Posted on 03/24/2010 8:10:02 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
US Citizen Facing Trial in North Korea a 'Passionate' Christian
Those who know him say a U.S. citizen facing trial for entering North Korea illegally is a passionate Christian, but has occasional social difficulties.
Kurt Achin | Seoul23 March 2010
Former colleagues of Aijalon Mahli Gomes say they were shocked to learn that he is the person North Korean authorities have been holding in custody for more than two months.
North Korean media announced the arrest of a U.S. citizen in late January, but did not identify the individual until Monday. Gomes is a 30-year-old man from Boston, Massachusetts.
North Korea says he crossed the border from China illegally on January 25.
Gomes came to South Korea about two years ago to teach English. Fellow American Jered Lyons says he taught in the same town as Gomes from October 2008 to July of 2009. He describes Gomes as deeply religious.
(Excerpt) Read more at 1.voanews.com ...
In this photo taken on Jan. 12, 2010, American Aijalon Mahli Gomes, whose identification was made by Seoul-based activist Jo Sung-rae, participates in a rally organized by Jo denouncing North Korean’s human rights conditions at the Imjingak Pavilion, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Panmunjom that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, South Korea.
Looks part Korean. His heart is in the right place, but THESE PEOPLE DO NOT “PLAY”.
They are itching for ANY little sign that they have somehow been invaded —victimhoodism on mega-steroids.
To discourage repeats we might not want to dole out our most intense help. Sorry bro..!
US man held in NKorea rallied against Pyongyang
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 24, 2010; 10:06 AM
SEOUL, South Korea — A Boston man detained in North Korea is a quiet, devout Christian so concerned about an American missionary held in Pyongyang that he was moved to tears at rallies protesting the communist regime, fellow activists said Wednesday.
North Korea announced Monday that Aijalon Mahli Gomes, 30, would stand trial after entering the country illegally. The trial date was not mentioned in a brief report in state media.
It was not immediately clear why Gomes, who taught English in South Korea, went to the communist country. However, activists in Seoul said he was an acquaintance of Robert Park, a fellow Christian from Arizona who crossed into North Korea on Christmas in a bold bid to draw attention to the country's human rights situation.
In the days after Park's arrest, Gomes attended at least two rallies in Seoul calling for Park's release, a Seoul-based activist said.
“I saw him weeping,” Jo Sung-rae of Pax Koreana said.
Park, 26, of Tucson, was released last month after more than 40 days in North Korean custody, with the North's state media saying he offered an apology for his transgressions. ..................
So the initial announcement of him defecting to NK to escape from capitalism is now called into question. Did he really say it or NK authorities make it up? If he did, why? after all, he was against N. Korea’s crime against humanity.
"He's a goner.
Maybe the, “I hate America”-guy was someone else? This is confusing.
This guy sound totally the opposite.
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