Yonhap reports that both John McCain and Barack Obama have stated to the Korean Church Coalition for North Korea Freedom that they will raise the issue of NK refugees in dealings with China and other nations in NE Asia.
That is nice.
Of course, I recalled that folks expected the same thing from the Bush administration but the reality never really match the rhetoric. As the Yonhap piece notes, the US as only admited 61 North Korean refugees since the State Department was authorized to take them in 2004.
There is also the fact that the State Department under Bush has marginalized NK Human Rights envoy Jay Lefkowitz.
Will the next president do any better? I don’t know about McCain but Obama has already started backtracking on NK human rights, which is certainly not a good sign.
12 Comments
OT - Is this for real?
The Rev. Moon (and family, incl. wife) were in a helicopter crash in South Korea?
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WO.....index.html
As for the topic at hand - and this is a serious question - what should the USA actual do? What should it do to make the North better in regards to the issue of refugees?
- The US Military participation in Bosnia hasn’t solved anything after 10+ years.
- The 50+ year Financial embargo against Cuba hasn’t replaced the leaders there.
- The US’ Military and Financial presence in ‘friendly’ places (such as South Korea) isn’t always well-received.
What actual action do people want the USA to take? Remember, the United Nations already fills the role of “sending angry letters”.
And invading places makes the hippies mad…. so what’s left?
Protests nowadays lack common sense in a way.
People all over the world protested about Tibet, although many of them couldn’t even find it on the map. It was clearly a dead-end - China will not just give up such a great part of its territory because of “human right” abuses, which are ubiquitous.
However, due to the South Koreans’ indifference and the imperial interests of the US, China and Russia, everyone keeps quiet about North Korea’s ordeal and China’s part in it.
Where did we see protests about the forced repatriation of North Korean political refugees? Only in Seoul! And we all remember how badly it ended.
China might not leave Tibet, but such a small thing like quitting the repatriation of defectors and sending them to South Korea is something that really COULD be done with some public pressure.
However, westerners are obsessed with Tibet and don’t give much thought about the North Korean holocaust.
For them the death of 50 Tibetans is more horrifying than the death of millions of North Koreans.
It’s amazing how people in “democratic” societies tend to be so easily-manipulated and double-standarded.
Dimitar, it isnt that people in democratic countries don’t care about NK refugees, it’s that the DONT KNOW about NK refugees. If Koreans do not speak up about it, how on Earth do you expect non-Koreans to know anything about North Korean refugees.
yeah, dude, write your congressman about this crap, not other inane, truly bull-shit crap.
PS, Write your Congressman.
PS, don’t bother writing about candle lights.
PS, You are stupid.
Anyone interested in asking Lefkowitz in person what he thinks of Bush and of being marginalized might want to swing by Korea University Inchon Memorial Hall, 2nd floor, International Seminar Hall 1 around 1pm on July 23, whenJay will be giving a talk
Obama backtracking? Nooooo…..
http://usinsideworld.com/artic.....c_num=5123
After watching this clip, I hate Kim Dae Jung and North Korea more.
It is kind of frustrating, isn’t it?
“- The US Military participation in Bosnia hasn’t solved anything after 10+ years.”
The United States deserves credit for stopping the war, which neither Europeans nor the UN could manage to do. Even the UN, for all its shortcomings, managed to mitigate the violence, distribute food aid, assist refugees, etc. Saved tens of thousands of lives. A perfect solution has not been found, but it is far better than the situation was in the early 90s.
“- The 50+ year Financial embargo against Cuba hasn’t replaced the leaders there.”
Neither did the Bay of Pigs invasion, assassination attempts, dropping leaflets, etc. Like it or not, the leadership still has - and always has had - its supporters in Cuba. Once Raul goes - and, interestingly, he seems to be somewhat more reform minded than Fidel - Cuba will change. Kind of like how North Korea will only really change once fatso leaves the building. I just hope that it is Cuban reformers - not Floridians - chart the course for what comes next.
“- The US’ Military and Financial presence in ‘friendly’ places (such as South Korea) isn’t always well-received.”
Comes with the territory. The US takes a lot of shit for playing the role it does. Bad PR doesn’t help matters, but there is always going to be some resentment as long as American military forces are on foreign land, even in allied countries .
I think the only thing the US can do about North Korea, considering the lack of enthusiasm of China (no surprise there), South Korea, and Japan for tougher action (ie. possible war) is to wait for KJI to die. Whether humanitarian aid should be linked to politics is a tough call.
There is the assumption that the US is the land of the free, and that its nice to help others also become free. That is fine however, some would disagree with the definition of ‘free’. All these efforts to help others become free seem to cost a lot and achieve sweet F.A. Maybe more effort needs to go on helping its own citizens be more free.
Free to get good medical treatment, a good education.
Free from the threat of violence etc
#4:
“Dimitar, it isnt that people in democratic countries don’t care about NK refugees, it’s that the DONT KNOW about NK refugees. If Koreans do not speak up about it, how on Earth do you expect non-Koreans to know anything about North Korean refugees.”
Unfortunately this is exactly right…
Whenever I try to talk with South Koreans about it they become defensive and try to change the topic. Maybe afraid to lose face?
Usually it sounds like this:
“But how do you know the situation there is so bad? We have been there (Kaesong, Geumgangsan) and it seemed ok. Have you been there?”
“But we’ve already sent so much money? What else do they want?”
“Don’t read stories about prison camps… they’re American propaganda! Our brothers aren’t capable of cruelty towards other Koreans.”
“We have so many domestic problems and Americans are trying to kill is with their beef; and our president is the Devil (yes, they really call him the DEVIL!LMAO!). We need to concentrate on our country and they need to concentrate on theirs”.
This ALL is a result of a deadly “sunshine” policy and distorted history books, depicting KIS as the “japanese fighter” and KJI as the “chairman”.
And after 2MB’s fiasco with the beef, the number of leftists has even increased.
Probably the number of real leftists in the South is greater than that in the North.
looks like china will close down bridges next month during olympics… the hour approaches when we might see some volume movements for would be refugees.
One Trackback
[...] I agree with Andy analysis that so far the realities never match the rhetoric of all these politicians. [...]