By It appears that Lisa Ling who has been keeping a low profile in regards to the hostage taking of her sister Laura Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee, has finally decided to use her celebrity to advocate for the release of both women:
After the March 17 arrest by North Korean border officials of Lisa Ling’s sister Laura Ling and Euna Lee for alleged “hostile acts,” the families of the detained American journalists have been working quietly with officials to secure their release. But as the June 4 trial date for the women approaches, the families have decided to speak publicly for the first time.
“It has been nearly three months since their arrest,” a statement from the Ling and Lee families begins. “We have been holding our breath everyday as we’ve watched the political situation on the Korean Peninsula grow increasingly tense. Our loved ones sit in the midst of it. We desperately urge the governments of the United States and North Korea to keep our issue separate from the larger geopolitical stand-off. We hope that our two countries can come together to secure the expeditious release of Laura and Euna on humanitarian grounds. Euna Lee is the mother of a four-year old daughter. And Laura was being treated for an ulcer prior to her departure, and in our limited communication with her we fear it has become more serious since her detainment and requires immediate medical attention.” [People Magazine]
You can read the rest of the statement at the link. Lisa Ling is also going to appear on NBC’s Today Show as well as on CNN. It is good to see her publicizing this story, which most people have not heard of. Lisa Ling also released a letter from her sister that she posted on her Facebook account.
I agree with One Free Korea that this publicity is good because if it causes Americans to become aware of how vile the North Korean regime is I think it would make it harder for the Obama administration to cut any deal with the North Koreans down the road. Most Americans only know North Korea as a bizarre country with a nuclear program, they know nothing about the kidnappings, assassinations, concentration camps, public executions, terrorism, forced abortions, along with a host of other human rights violations that are carried out by the North Korean regime. An educated American population that is aware of all of this would have a harder time accepting an Agreed Framework 3.0 from their government, which at some point when the North Koreans are comfortable with their bargaining position will try to extract from the US for little to nothing in return.
In the mean time lets hope and pray this media blitz by Lisa Ling will convince the North Koreans to release the two journalists after the trial that is to be held in Pyongyang this week.
8:50 pm on May 31st, 2009 1
The elites in North Korea are willing to let hundreds of thousands of their own people starve to death in order that they can maintain their elite standing within North Korea.
Does anyone really think North Korea can be convinced it should release these two – even though that's the right thing to do?
3:50 am on June 1st, 2009 2
One thing that NOBODY is saying is, "They got taken from the Chinese side of the border." That means something, ya know…
…and it will mean something even more if it turns out they WERE taken from the Chinese side of the boarder but no big deal has been made of it.
"Does anyone really think North Korea can be convinced it should release these two"
Absolutely.
Letting "their own people" starve is either a necessity or the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
North Korea can certainly be convinced to release these two if it is a necessity or the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Kinda like almost every other political maneuver in recorded history.
The goal of politicians and diplomats is to make it a necessity (but chances are they won't stick their necks out that far for these two) or make the benefits outweigh the disadvantages (which is probably what they are trying to do now (in a way that makes sure THEIR benefits aren't outweighed by the disadvantages))…
…such as…
"So, dudes, you can look, like, totally all benevolent-and-everything if you just release 'em. But if you keep 'em, you gotta feed 'em and liberals are becoming less popular so the whole propaganda-thing is out. Besides, we will like totally lean on the South Koreans to send a shipment of rice and fuel oil for the winter and we will cancel this year's Northbound Spear joint exercise. So. Cool? Do we got a deal?"
9:38 am on June 1st, 2009 3
Chickenhead ~ how about NOT truncating my sentence and then trying to answer the question I posed.
If you have a point to make – fine – go ahead and make it. But if you're going to respond to a question, don't change the question so that you can provide an answer that conforms with your way of thinking.
9:45 am on June 1st, 2009 4
I wonder if anyone has considered the possibility that "raising public awareness" is just what the norK's want. The more the situation makes the news, the better, from a norK standpoint. With KJI it's like show business. The only bad publicity is no publicity.
I think it would be wiser to let this be handled quirtly, very quietly, via diplomatic back channels and such (yes Virginia, diplomatic usually means $$$ when dealing with KJI and crew). Otherwise these ladies may be there a very long time.
1:39 pm on June 1st, 2009 5
Silly, unnecessarily-offended Guitard…
I considered quoting the whole thing but it seemed unnecessary… considering that your opinion of what is right does not modify the question of what North Korea can be convinced to do.
But, to satisfy your demands, let's try again.
"Does anyone really think North Korea can be convinced it should release these two – even though that’s the right thing to do?"
Hmmm.
O.K. I say the exact same thing… because, well, it still applies in the exact same way.
Happy now?
Oh, and if you disagree with my answer that "conforms with (my) way of thinking", you are more than welcome to pick it apart and tell me why I am wrong.
8:47 pm on June 7th, 2009 6
Their carbon footprint just got a lot smaller… at least for the next 12 years.
12:23 am on June 8th, 2009 7
I've got to think they'll eventually be released. That's the way this has gone in the past on several high-profile occasions. Deals will be cut, money will undoubtedly trade hands, face will be saved, and bargaining chips will be cashed in.
Frankly, I can't see that it matters at this point if they were nabbed on Chinese soil. If the Chinese government doesn't care about this possible territorial transgression, we can't make them.
(That's not to say that they can't be made to care based on some other incentive we provide.)
8:04 am on June 8th, 2009 8
I have to believe the fact that we haven't heard from the cameraman or the "Chinese guide" probably indicates that they were not taken from the Chinese side. I hope I am wrong. I do agree with Chickenhead that if they were indeed taken from the Chinese side and there are witnesses we have a completely different ballgame and the pressure would be on the Chinese to resolve this. I've been on that border, however, and as I recall you have to cross a river to be in North Korea. Granted they were both apparently very naive and inexperienced and didn't know much about the area but they were accompanied by a Chinese "guide" who should have known where he was. Much more to be learned but in the meantime, it has to really suck to contemplate 12 years in a North Korean gulag.
12:00 pm on June 8th, 2009 9
The Chinese guide is of North Korean origin that members of human rights groups in China were suspicious of. He has yet to be found. According to the Liberate Laura site they were grabbed on one of the bridges between the two rivers.
They may have thought it was safe standing on the Chinese side of the bridge because of what the guide told them.
Mitch Koss can put this all to rest but according to the Liberate Laura site he has been told to keep quiet by the State Dept. I'm sure they felt no matter what he said could effect their trial in NK.