Posted on 12/17/2011 11:16:45 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Eight armed North Korean soldiers defected last month across the Apnok (or Yalu) River separating North Korea and China, prompting security to be tightened around the Chinese border town of Dandong, the Daily NK reported Wednesday.
Citing border guards in Dandong, the online news outlet said the soldiers crossed the border in Kuandian around Nov. 20, and that two of them were shot and killed while six escaped. Kuandian is around 100 km northeast of Dandong.
Chinese soldiers were dispatched to Kuandian following the incident and inspected people passing through train stations and other public places. North Korea apparently sent scores of public security agents to arrest the soldiers.
It remains unknown whether North Korean and Chinese soldiers exchanged fire during the incident. The Daily NK reported rumors that Chinese soldiers were bribed to look the other way while the North Koreans defected. A South Korean intelligence official said he has not been informed of the incident and would need to verify it.
Are they soldiers or prisoners?
Perhaps all is not so well in Dear Leader’s paradise.
God help these terrorized people.
drop leaflets and broadcast in the story of von Stauffenberg.
drop leaflets and broadcast in the story of von Stauffenberg.
drop leaflets and broadcast in the story of von Stauffenberg.
In North Korea, is there much difference?
How exactly did China tighten security on the border?
Could they have used the American approach?
- Virtual Fence that would not actual stop anyone unless they were wearing a dog collar.
- Make a distinction between “criminal aliens” and regular law abiding aliens, ignoring the fact that immigration laws were violated.
- When someone is suspected of being a “criminal alien”, threaten the city/providence from asking about the immigration status of the criminal.
- Declare that all aliens are citizens and quickly give them the right to vote.
- Declare that immigrants are needed for the good of the economy as justification for not enforcing immigration law.
Out of the frying pan...
Any North Korean who defects to the south must run a veritable Gauntlet of Death.
If this many defected, then there must be a great many more sufficiently disenchanted with the northern government to do so, should they get an opportunity.
Given enough time, the north will simply fall apart under the weight of its own entropy.
They escaped into Red China. They are usually returned when caught; North Koreans stand out in China because they are on average up to six inches shorter than Chinese due to malnutrition related to the famine.
I remember as a kid folks getting shot while trying to escape East Germany. Usually getting caught up in no mans land between the two sides fences.
Also folks using rafts made of copper pipes or tire tubes and floating on them across the Florida straights from Cuba to the U.S.
Must be pretty bad if folks are willing to die trying to get out.
Thanks for the correction; I should have read more carefully.
That being said, if they’re escaping into China, they must be even more desperate than had they escaped to the south; for all China’s economic progress, the hinterlands remain economically backward, and are certainly not on a par with South Korea.
I assume they try to escape to the South, but I think the border is too tight; I remember a few years back when they started escaping into Red China when the starvation became widespread (that’s where I read about the height disparity).
I do remember when the Berlin wall came down. I do believe that the West wanted to prosecute those guards that shot escapees. To become one of those guards you really had to ‘subscribe’ to the ‘program’. To go that far is something that our own leader should speak out on. I would call it Saddam Hussein justice.
Dandong? Oh, now we know where Barney Frank is going after he retires.
I couldn’t imagine shooting escapees, but I’d think the state dangled something over the guards (like their families) to force compliance. It is wrong, but until I’m in their shoes I’d give them the benefit of the doubt.
Red China is the sponsor of North Korea; without Red Chinese support the Norks would have collapsed years ago. If they had any issues with North Korea they could take it very quickly; they’ve done it in the past with a lot less gear.
I think China’s biggest issue now is to make sure that they don’t end up having to take care of millions of North Korean refugees, although the security of NK’s nukes, if any, is probably just as high.
Right now China has avoided feeding them for years; I don’t see them wanting that to change.
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