North Korea’s Bargaining Chip

in News Releases by cc — June 9, 2009 at 10:08 am | 0 comments

American Journalist Laura Ling and her producer Euna Lee have been sentenced to 12 years hard labor in prison for their alleged crime against the Korean nation when they allegedly crossed the border.  The North Korean central court, which had barred all observers from the trial, sentenced these journalists to 12 years of reform through labor. 

The journalists were arrested March 17 by the Tumen River, which runs between North Korea and China.  The journalists were supposedly working on a story involving the Tumen River and human trafficking.  North Korea claims that these women crossed the border and had hostile intentions. 

The U.S. has continuously called for the release of these prisoners.  However, those pleas have gone unheard, but Washington has vowed to exercise every resource in order to secure their release.  Because the U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, the Swedish Ambassador represented U.S. interests and confirmed the sentence with North Korean authorities. 

Some fear that these American’s arrest is a power move.  After North Korea’s atomic tests on May 25, the U.N. is debating how to punish North Korea for its defiance.  These arrests and sentences could be a bargaining chip for the country in order to draw Washington into direct negotiations.  This may have been a reaction to threats by the U.S., including possible sanctions and putting North Korea back on the list as supporters of terrorism.

This story is really quite frightening.  These women were arrested and sentenced, and our government can’t do anything to help them.  Because of the political situation between the two countries, these women will have a more difficult time getting released.  Not only are these women highly intelligent, and well known, they also have powerful friends.  These women were reporters for California-based Current TV, a media venture of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.   Al Gore and Bill Richardson, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., have tried to get North Korea to accept a visit in order to secure the journalists release. 

These journalists will have a difficult and long 12 years, with extremely limited contact.  The Swedish Ambassador has only been allowed to see them three times.  This case is not really about these women crossing the border, if they actually did.  This case is a political move.  North Korea has taken a stand against the U.S. and has secured its position by arresting and sentencing these American journalists.  Kim Yong-Hun a professor at Seoul‘s Dongguk University has said that the "sentence doesn’t mean much because the issue will be resolved diplomatically in the end."

Even though this is believed to be a political move, American citizens need to be extremely careful.  Study the laws and customs of the country before visiting, and know that if you go to a foreign country that does not have direct relations with the United States, you’re basically on your own.  These women will have a difficult time, but hopefully the U.S. can secure their release shortly without bending over backwards to North Korea.  

 

Tags: arrest atomic test Euna Lee Laura Ling North Korea power sentence U.N. U.S.