Prisoner Nation: Why North Koreans cheered Bush's "axis of evil" designation

Opinion Journal ^ | 02/05/03 | NORBERT VOLLERTSEN

[Pokey78]

SEOUL, South Korea--A human tragedy of hellish dimensions continues in North Korea.

For nearly a decade, an unknown number of North Koreans, possibly as many as 300,000, have defected to China. These brave men, women and children risk their lives to flee the mass starvation and brutal oppression brought upon them by Kim Jong Il's Stalinist regime. Sadly, Beijing's official policy has been, and remains, to arrest the refugees and forcibly return them to North Korea, where they face imprisonment, torture and in some cases execution.

[Constantine XIII]

There is a country where 7/10 of the people live in abject poverty, where millions are confined in slave labor camps, where all who do not abandon God for the State are jailed, and a handful of men have absolute power. When people arrive there from North Korea, they call it freedom.

[Carry_Okie]

Thank you.

China continues to prop up Kim Jong Il's evil regime even as thousands sneak over the border to escape it.

Our "friends" the Chinese, who find North Korea perhaps a useful diversion.

[The Real Deal]

BUMP!

[happygrl]

Ping !

A great story about one of your countryman.

Working to expose the truth about North Korea, and assisting North Koreans in escaping that den of evil.

[Michael81Dus]

"As a German, I also know about Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy towards Nazi Germany, how badly it failed, and how disastrous were its consequences. The only way to truly help the North Korean people and to end Pyongyang's nuclear blackmail is to hasten the collapse of Kim Jong Il's murderous regime."

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

the South Korean government has largely turned a blind eye to the plight of their "brothers" to the north, and in many cases has actually hindered their escape . . . South Korean authorities worked actively to foil our attempts to bring North Korean refugees to freedom. But under South Korean law, North Korean refugees cannot be turned away. It is time for Seoul to live up to this promise.

And it's not just the officials. South Korean students spend their time and energy denouncing the presence of U.S. troops, instead of denouncing the evils of Kim Jong Il. What many foreigners fail to understand is that the student movement in Seoul is heavily influenced by North Korean propaganda, and quite possibly given logistical and financial support through spies from the North.

In Washington the temptation to leave the ROK to its own devices must be overwhelming. "All he wants" if to have South Korea; why exert ourselves to keep it from him if South Korea thinks we're worse???

[Michael81Dus]

I can understand your feelings. But you´re there for those South Koreans who appreciate your presende!

[Indy Pendance]

Thanks for the link.

[Diddle E. Squat]

bump

[ImphClinton]

Funny how the Democrats demand action on this.

They know our hands are tied because Il already has nukes. Thus diplomacy is all we have as a tool. They are stupid enough to think that diplomacy and bombing from 45,000 feet can solve every problem. It can't and bombing is not an option in this case.

Pressure on China will most likely work eventually. Sanctions will also help. Call their bluff Sanctions are not an act of war by anyones diffinition.