North Korean Gulag Still There (no surprise here)

Satellite images suggest that contrary to reports that Pyongyang had shut down its largest labour prison in June, Camp 22 is still serving as a penal gulag for thousands of inmates.

According to the Telegraph satellite images collected by the Washington-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea earlier this month indicates the camp continues to function, it said in a report.

"Harvesting of crops continues, as does coal production, making it not yet clear that the camp has closed and that North Korean authorities have been slowly transferring small sections of prisoners out of Camp 22 and replacing them with a regular workforce from other locations," the group said in a statement.

The camp is in fact a collection of interconnected detention facilities covering 87 square miles and surrounded by an electric fence. Former guards who have escaped from North Korea say the camp has 1,000 guards armed with machine guns.No inmate, most of whom are serving life sentences for political crimes, religious beliefs or are purged senior party members, has been known to escape from North Korea.

As many as 50,000 inmates are held at the camp, producing furniture or labouring in coal mines or the fields. In total, some 100,000 people are believed to be held in North Korean labour camps.
Defectors have recounted numerous forms of torture at Camp 22, as well as claiming that medical and weapons experiments were carried out on inmates, including children.

HRNK is calling on the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Food Programme to be given immediate access to the North Korean gulag system and is requesting the creation of an international commission of inquiry to look into breaches of human rights in the North. 

 

Hmm (again) I wonder why anyone thought that North Korea would be shutting its camps. I can't imagine that that Kim youn'un will be changing much aboith his insane littlefiefdom any time soon if at all. After all he is king of the dung heap.

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Implementing Last Instructions of Peerlessly Great Men for National Reunification

It's been a while since I posted some news from North Korea so it's time to make both my readers suffer. Here is an item from the KCNA website

 It is the noble national duty for all Koreans at home and abroad to turn out as one in the struggle to implement the last instructions of the peerlessly great men for national reunification true to the great intention and patriotic leadership of the dear respected Marshal Kim as national reunification was the lifelong desire of the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu: President Kim Il Sung took to his heart the misfortune the Korean nation was suffering due to the country's division and worked heart and soul to hand over a reunified country to posterity till the last moments of his life. and Leader Kim Jong Il provided a firm foundation for carrying out the last instruction of the President for national reunification and led all Koreans along the road of reunification and patriotism with his noble patriotism and broad-minded magnanimity it being the the firm determination and will of Kim Jong Un to achieve the country's reunification by concerted efforts of the Koreans in line with the ideas and intentions of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and the wise leadership of Kim Jong Un provides a firm guarantee for national reunification, national independence, pioneered and led by the great Generalissimos to ensure that Koreans now foresee the shinning day of victory of the cause of independent reunification thanks to the leadership of Kim Jong Un identical to the great Generalissimos.

North Korea has warned that its army has "powerful modern weapons" that could defeat the US with a "single blow", as the isolated state continued to ramp up rhetoric ahead of an expected nuclear test.

Vice-marshal Ri Yong-ho, Chief of the General staff, speaking at a meeting to mark the 80th anniversary of the army's founding, added that they would "cut the throats" of anyone who defamed North Korean leaders.

"The Korean People's Army is armed with powerful modern weapons ... that can defeat the [US] imperialists at a single blow," he said at the meeting which was attended by new leader Kim Jong-un.

It was unclear what weapon Vice-marshal Ri was referring to, but following the high-profile failure of a rocket launch earlier this month, North Korea is believed to be preparing its third nuclear test. On Monday, Pyongyang warned it was planning special operations against the South Korean government.

I suppose that this sort of bullshit goes down well at home but they clearly have no idea how stupid they make the DPRK sound abroad.

Kim Jong-un has a laughably small penis. I await a visit from a North Korean agent brandishing a knife...

DPRK say: I'll thcream and thcream 'till I'm thick

Yesterday North Korea gave a typical response to the suspension byt teh USA of food aid.
 

"We have thus become able to take necessary retaliatory measures, free from the agreement. The US will be held wholly accountable for all the ensuing consequences," its foreign ministry said.

THe North Koreans also rejected condemnation by the United Nations Security Council, including China, of the failed launch last ure that iday.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said on Wednesday that China has suspended the refugee repatriation deal because it was not consulted about the launch, seen by the US and its allies as a covert test of ballistic missile technology. The paper quoted two Chinese officials as saying the longstanding policy of swiftly returning North Koreans as economic migrants - despite the punishment they face back home - had been put on hold.

"North Korea failed to disclose specific plans of the missile launch to the Chinese side," the paper quoted one unidentified official as saying.
The suspension reflects Beijing's displeasure with its neighbour which "did not show the necessary attention to its friend China", the official said.

Pyongyang insists its failed satellite launch did not breach a February deal with Washington, under which it vowed to suspend uranium enrichment and nuclear and missile tests in return for food aid.But the US called off plans to start shipping 240,000 tonnes of food, saying the North could no longer be trusted.

On Monday a Security Council presidential statement "strongly condemned" the launch. It ordered a tightening of existing sanctions and warned of new action if the isolated state stages another nuclear or long-range missile test.

Pyongyang said Washington had imposed a "brigandish demand" on the Council and that every country has the right to launch satellites for peaceful purposes."Nothing can stand in the way of (North Korea)'s space development for peaceful purposes," it vowed. (Apart form their own incompetence)


"With the February agreement broken down in practice, the North will likely take many of the steps the US and South Korea have long feared, including another nuclear test and a long-range missile test," said Paik Hak-Soon of the South's Sejong Institute think-tank.

Paik tvelieved it was hard to imagine any conciliatory US gesture in an election year, and a with a presidential election was looming in South Korea.
"The North has realised, given the situation in the US and the South, that it is unlikely there will be any major diplomatic breakthroughs with either country until early 2013. So it will do whatever it wants to do until then," he said.

Yang Moo-Jin of Seoul's University of North Korean Studies said that when the US and the Security Council start taking punitive actions, "Pyongyang will certainly respond with actions as well. "These would include a third nuclear test, or test-launching of an inter-continental ballistic missile or stepping up activities involving weapons-grade uranium," Yang said.

To be honest I simply cannot get my head around  the DPRK. Personally I would simply forget about an my conciliation or aid to the country, help ensure that South Korea's defences are adequate to meet an attack fro the North (if  they are so stupid as to try an invasion) and get on with other things.

If the DPRK wushes to shout and scream like some petulant child then why should we listen. As for China, it looks as if they are reaching the end of their very long tether. It is unlikely they would attack DPRK but I am sure they have the facility to make things difficult for Kim Jong Young 'Un if they so wished.

What the hell are the North Koreans playing at?

The North Koreans seem to like using brinkmanship to get their way but they may well be sowing the seeds of their own destruction.

It was no real shock to see that they had shelled an island under South Korean control. killing two soldiers and wounding nearly a score of others. Still their actions are incomprehensible to this blogger.

What the hell do they think they will achieve? Do they want war to engulf the peninsula? Perhaps Kim Jong il really wants to go out with a bang.

Utter madness!

North Korean nuclear test

North Korea says it has staged a "successful" underground nuclear test more powerful than the first one conducted by the stare in October 2006. (according to the BBC and just about every other news source)

An official communiqué read out on North Korean state radio said another round of underground nuclear testing had been "successfully conducted... as part of measures to enhance the Republic's self-defensive nuclear deterrent in all directions". The test had been "safely conducted at a new high level in terms of explosive power and control technology" and would "contribute to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism.”

The North gave no details of the test location, but South Korean officials said that a seismic tremor was detected in the north-eastern part around the town of Kilju - the site of North Korea's first nuclear test. The US Geological Survey said a 4.7-magnitude quake was detected at 0054 GMT, 10km (six miles) underground.

Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying said its systems had detected a blast of "between 10 and 20 kilotons" - making it much bigger than the 2006 test, which the US said was less than a kiloton.

The test has prompted international condemnation and an emergency session of the UN Security Council is being convened by Russia, which currently occupies the council's rotating presidency.

Hmm I daresay there will be more expressions of condemnation but the deed is done and it does look like the North Koreans have worked out how to do it properly this time. I daresay that others will analyse this event far better than I ever could

but I will sum up my thoughts in two words – “not good”. It was interesting, however, to see what the useful idiots at the Korean Friendship Association had to say. I was pleasantly surprised to see one use the word "calumniated". I had never seen it used before!

Dear Leader in surprise election victory

Yesterday Kim Jong-il was staring into the abyss of electoral defeat. However, in an escape that would have made Harry Houdini jealous he has been swept back into power by a grateful people. According to the Press Association the electorate gave the ruling party a ringing endorsement with 100% of the vote in a 99.98% turnout.

According to AFP turnout in Kim’s own seat, military constituency 33,3 was 100%. "all the voters of Constituency No. 333 participated in the election and voted for Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong-Il," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. "This is the expression of all service persons' and people's absolute support and profound trust in Kim Jong-Il,"

The election gives no indication of Kim’s likely successor – none of his three sons was nominated for a seat – but the Dear Leader can breath easy again in the knowledge that he has a mandate to force North Koreans to bend over and take another inch.

General election takes place in the world's one true democracy

The vote has now been cast, the polls are closed and North Korea's version of John Snow is almost certainly set to move his swingometer. Political pundits are poised to pick up the results. It is election time in the DPRK.

Needless to say there is one candidate per seat so the result it a foregone conclusion. That said The nation truly has a one man, one vote system and the one man of course is the Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il.

The only real item of interest in what is of course a rubber stamp exercise is whether The Dear Leader's third son Kin Jong-Un actually appears on the ballot. This may confirm rumours that he is favoured to succeed his father.

According to ITAR-Tass (not exactly a first choice news source for the Poor Mouth) thousands of residents of the capital Pyongyang dressed in festived clothes stood in lines to cast their vote (turn out last time was reportedly 99.9%.... hmmm).

In theory, each voter has the right to express his or her discontent with the candidacy of a would-be representative and cross out the name in the ballot, but no such cases are known in practice here.North Korean mass media claim that this is the most democratic form of a direct voting by secret ballot.

At the end of the voting procedure, each voter is expected to stop by the portraits of the country's leader Kim Jong Il and his father Kim Il Sung, the founder of the Korean socialist state, and to make several bows to them.

I'm sure the Korean Friendship Association and its Juche brown nosers like Alejandro Cao de Benos de Les y Pérez and Dermot (a sterling fellow and in no way a f**kwit) are probably enraptured.... Hiho

Chippenham embraces the guiding light of songun

Chippenham is one of many towns and cities across the UK hoping to get aboard the 2012 Olympics gravy train by hosting one of the teams as it prepares for the games. Knowing full well there was no chance of attracting a major nation like the USA the burgher of Chippenham sent off brochures to smaller sporting nations.

The first response, however, was the North Korea - an embassy official wrote that it was very interested and a North Korean photographer turned up earlier this week to take pictures of the town. The only catch so far is that the embassy has wondered if the town would care to pay for its athletes to stay there. The town rather thought it would be getting money!

North Korea is not the biggest prize of course: Birmingham is close to sealing a deal with the USA that could benefit the city by £10m or more; Loughborough, Bath and Millfield, are all hoping to host Team GB (or a sporting giant if they miss out); Bristol has signed a deal with Kenya not only to host its pre-games camp but to organise a series of sporting, educational and cultural exchange programmes.

So will Chippenham be the centre of Juche in England in five years time? Will Dermot Hudson and the British membership of the Korean Friendship Association (both of them!)be moving there? Will Chippenham be paying for the privilege?

Chippenham 2012?

Birds of a (brutal and paranoid ) feather...

Myanmar (Burma) and North Korea, two of the world's most isolated, paranoid and repressive states have agreed to restore diplomatic relations after a break of over 20 years.

Myanmar broke off relations with North Korea in 1983, accusing the Koreans of orchestrating a bomb attack against the South Korean president during a visit to Rangoon. Visiting North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong-Il, and his Burmese counterpart signed the agreement restoring relations on Thursday.

It would appear that rapprochement is born out of self-interest: North Korea needs Myanmar’s natural resources while Myanmar wants access to military equipment. If a pariah state is on the receiving end of sanctions who better to trade with than another pariah state?

I daresay that this will be to the detriment of the citizens of both countries. North Korea and Myanmar are both crying out for regime change.

Slavish congratulation and convoluted sentences.

This letter was written by western acolytes of North Korea and appeared on the Red Banner of Songun website. It was addressed to “Peerlessly legendary son of Songun leader Kim Jong il”.

Our great leader Kim Jong Il, On the occasion of your birthday, the biggest holiday of humankind, we reverentially extend to you the greatest glory and congratulation. The Songun politics administered by leader Kim Jong Il who was born and grew up inheriting the lineage of Songun arms of Mt. Baekdu, and developed in depth the Songun idea of great President Kim Il Sung, is the only beacon and invincible sword of the progressive humankind fighting for the global independence and socialism in the fierce showdown with the imperialists, common enemy of the people.

The greatness, truthfulness, validity and vitality of the Songun idea and politics, the banner of anti-imperialist independence, are being proved day by day so thus Songun becomes a tendency of the world today. By dint of the great Songun politics the dark clouds of the imperialist domination and subordination, high-handedness and arbitrariness, and aggression and war will be smashed to pieces, and the blue sky of a new independent world, free, peaceful and thriving, will be opened without fail.

We express again the warm gratitude and glory to you, great sun of Songun, who is bestowing the great pride and self-confidence upon us, the absolute followers, defenders and disseminators of the Songun idea and politics.


This letter was issued on behalf of the Songun Group, The Association for the Study of the Songun Politics-UK (that splendid fellow Dermot Hudson, I would imagine) The Songun Politics Study Group-US, and the Pyongyang Mission of the AINDF (Anti Imperialist National Democratic Front)

Luckily there can’t be more than a few hundred fools in Europe and North America that believe this claptrap. After all Songun is hardly a benevolent policy: the army of North Korea gets everything and its people nothing. Then again there are those who still praise Stalin and Mao so I suppose it’s inevitable that Kim will get a small following of fools. I wish they would realise that shorter sentences is a virtue!

And there was I wasting time with the Grauniad and the Indy

An agreement reached with North Korea for it to close its nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel or economic aid received widespread coverage in the world's press earlier this week. I was curious to see how North Korea ran the story. I would have expected some coverage showing it as a victory for the Great (or is still the Dear) Leader and Juche over the "imperialistic brigands" of the United States. The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) has absolutely nothing to say on the agreement but I did find out that:

(15 February) symposia have been held to on Kim Jong Il’s undying feats. Apparently the speakers profoundly explained the imperishable feats performed by Kim Jong Il for the times and history. They said (no less!) Kim Jong Il, genius of thought and theory, scientifically formulated the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung and steadily developed it in depth to meet the demand of the developing revolution, thus clearly indicating the road ahead of the times and humankind….. And so on and so forth.

(14 February) A collection of anecdotes about music saw the light. The first part of the book includes touching anecdotes dealing with the extraordinary wisdom and tireless leadership of Kim Jong Il who led the musicians to make songs lauding the brilliant revolutionary life, undying revolutionary exploits and noble virtues of President Kim Il Sung…. I will spare you the other four parts.

(12 February) Public presentation on greatness of Kim Jong Il held during which speakers said that Kim Jong Il had performed undying feats on behalf of the era and history by leading the Korean revolution and the cause of global independence to victory with his distinguished political ability and extraordinary Songun revolutionary leadership…. Well you get the message

It is heartening to see that Kim Jong Il is never short of floral baskets as this seems to be the thing every other head of state ever gives him…

As for the Korean Friendship Association it is also heartening to note that that splendid fellow Dermot Hudson organised a public meeting n West London last Saturday which was attended by more than 35 people (36 people?). A video "Faith of Korea" was shown which featured the advantages of socialism and carried coverage of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il tirelessly giving on the spot guidance including late at night.

And there was me planning to watch Volver and Das Experiment this weekend when I could be watching this!