Oy. Journalists sentenced to labor camp.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_nkorea_journalists_held

Couple of US journalists were arrested in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

Thoughts/reactions?

 

Still better than working for Gannett.

http://www.instantrimshot.com

But in all seriousness, they're human bargaining chips. From what I've read, they won't be sent to a labor camp, because heaven forbid they interact with North Korean prisoners. They'll be traded for some sort of political concession from the West, and that'll be that.

 

It's my understanding the Kim Jong-Il is asking for twelve cases of Hennessy, cash considerations and a defector to be named later.

 

They'll also be listed as witnesses when they call in his next six-ace round of golf to the Pyongyang Daily Bugle.

 

Sirs, Madames,

And some complain about having to blog/twitter for their art.

Agreed about the separation from the general population in any sort of confinement but I suspect they'll be given a rough time, if only for show.

Threadjack in part, but is it sorta eerie that we heard nothing more from the CSM reporter who was held hostage for a good long stretch ... I thought that would translate into celebrity and a book or something.

o-<

 

International pressure won't work on Kim like it did in the Iran situation.

However, if his people crossed into China to kidnap these two I would think Beijing would have a bit of a problem with that and would be able to exert enough pressure to get them released.

 

China doesn't care about their own citizens and freedom of the press. Why would they care about two Americans?

 

I think there has to come a point where the games stop with this regime. That time is getting close.

 

I saw an interview with Lisa Ling, her parents and the husbands of both women that was absolutely wrenching.

If what Ragu says about the women being snatched from China is true, it's all the more horrible.

I laugh as much as anyone at "Team America World Police" and the Kim Jong-Il puppet, but there's no humor in this; it's a heartbreaking situation.

 

I know. But they DO care about incursions over their border. Especially ones that draw international attention.

 

They also care about giving the impression that FOREIGN reporters are by and large free to do what they want in China, even though that's not actually true either.

Can't remember exactly where I saw it, or I'd link it, but I saw a story quoting Bill Richardson as saying that you can't negotiate over this kind of stuff with the North Koreans until after the legal process is finished. Now that it is, the negotiations can begin.

Either Richardson or Gore will go over there, there'll be a bunch of posturing by the North Koreans and then they'll let the reporters go. There's no way they're keeping them for 12 years, and they're certainly not putting them anywhere near actual North Koreans. Even North Korea's not dumb enough to keep holding American reporters.

I don't mean to be dismissive, though. This is obviously a terrible situation, and even a day or two in any North Korean detention is bound to be extraordinarily unpleasant. And the trouble is, the U.S. can't send a consular representative to visit, because there is no U.S. consulate. Everything goes through Sweden, much as it goes through Switzerland in Iran.