Foredated: September 11, 2013

I really wanted to post this on September 11 at 8:45 am EST, but life prevented me from being able to do that.  I suppose I should have typed it up in advance, but it wasn't a possibility; I'm sorry.  But these thoughts seemed poignant enough to me to type up and post for you anyway.

On September 11, 2013, 8:44am something monumental happened.  As the clock ticked down, Americans my age - arguably the youngest people on the planet to remember a pre-9/11 life - lived the last minute that they would while still having lived the majority of their lives in relative safety.

I'd like to say that we felt ourselves untouchable until 9/11, but that's a lie.  We weren't, and only the naïve believed otherwise.  Peal Harbor, Oklahoma City, Columbine... We knew better.  But it was something about September 11 that felt so different.  I think it may be because our own assets were used against us.  Whatever it was, America changed drastically afterward; rather than doubling down and coming up stronger, we signed away our rights hand-over-fist and reacted in fear.  I was with everyone else at the time, though... we may want to ask ourselves if it should really be considered an achievement to have a 12-year-old agree with the action our government took.  I remember my mother warning me against it all, and I replied that we'd deal with any problems that arose when we came to them.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to them (Read: Syria), but that's another story for another time.

My point is this:
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a pre-Septemeber-Eleventh World.

I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a world where I can accompany my loved ones to their airplane.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life not having to worry about how complicated my shoes are before going to the airport.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life being able to be fully hydrated on a plane.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a country where Aladdin wouldn't be feared if he lived in it.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a time when I didn't have to worry if the person next to me started playing with their shoes.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life being unable to ask a flight attendant if the small person next to me (or, heck, I myself) could meet the pilot.
I've no longer lived the majority of my life without double, triple, quadruple checking everything I say while traveling.

I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a country that wasn't dominated by manipulation playing off people's fear.


And I'm not sure how to react to that.

Dear Tiananmen Square

Dear Tiananmen Square:
We were conceived together, you and I
We shadow each other
We are kindred

You were born out of death, a country torn and divided
While I was still a burgeoning hope, not yet ready for the world
But we were announced to the world at the same time
An accusatory message there, a celebrated one here -
They both were read with tears, though not of the same strain.


Dear Tianamen Square:
We were dedicated to our causes at the same time.
With the diligence of youth we were presented to the world
They lifted their voices, proudly proclaiming,
"Here and now we solemnly promise to see this through
"No matter the cost."

You and I, we didn't know what that meant then.
We didn't know how we would grow.
We only knew that we were in the hands of those who cared so much.


Dear Tianamen Square:
We're really of the same character - stubborn and reckless,
Inciting anger among those who don't understand
Ready to be the face of the fight.
It's only later that we wonder if we meant to do it at all.
If I had known, would I have acted differently?
If you had known, would you have?

Would I have spoken out?  Would I have quieted myself?
Would you have shaken, toppling buildings and cracking roads apart?
Would we have been happy with our courses had we known their outcomes?
I can't be sure.  Can you?


Dear Tianamen Square:
We both know what it is to be under a strict reign.
We both know what it is to rebel against it.
We both know what it is to face consequences we didn't expect.

We are united by our opposites.
My blood was drawn as you drank in that which fell on you.
My skin was pricked as shells rebounded off of you.
I screamed out for my mother, as you heard the screams echoing around you, in you.
And then we breathed the silence:
Me in my temporary comfort and you eternalized as that without it.

Dear Tianamen Square:
We are both unended, unsure, a story left unfinished.
The question lingers:
What happened to him - the man who was so bold?
Did you encourage him in your own stalwart way?
Would you do the same for me, as I endeavor to fill his shoes?

Will you watch over me or are you tired?
Are you still washing away the blood that is deep within you now?
Have you seen the ends of actions?
Have you given into the silence?
Or are you still bold, only waiting?




Tianamen Square timeline and news reports

Even still...

Words cannot express how deeply saddened by what happened in Boston. This is all I have to offer.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
-1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV)

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
-Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
-Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
-Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
-John 1:4-5 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
-1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
-Romans 13:12 (NIV)

O G-d, who brought us to birth,

and in whose arms we die,

in our grief and shock

contain and comfort us;

embrace us with your love,

give us hope in our confusion

and grace to let go into new life;

through Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Common Worship: Pastoral Services (p238)

Dear everyone,

I love you, and let me preface this by saying that while this is an incredibly sarcastic post, I'm not mad... I'm just banging my head against a wall while I'm writing.

Will you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CALM DOWN?! Please please please please please please pleeeeeaaaaaaaaaseeeee?

Yes, I know the tiny country full of starving people and World War II era planes (Read: North Korea) is super scary, but please rest assured that I'll be okay.  (Really. I write you only the truth.)

Furthermore, take a step back and look at who's giving you the information that is freaking you out so much. Who is it?  The news media.  And the news media has NEVER blown ANYTHING out of proportion before... right?  (Grab your kids, grab your wife!)

Lastly, before you get all worried about me, you should know that North Korea is far more angry at the U.S. than it is at South Korea, so, if you must frantically text someone, will you please frantically text your friends in Hawai'i and California?

And just in case you're not convinced yet, here's what's REALLY going down, here in South Korea:

(Note, the people interviewed in Pyeongyang are the elite, rich (fed) people of North Korea.

Furthermore, I'm still at a loss to understand how exactly they plan to crush anyone...

Like, really, think about it... most people in North Korea get to eat meat at most twice a year, supplementing their diets with grass, bugs, and tree bark when things get desperate.

I'm pretty sure they're going to be more focused on continuing to stand upright than attack anyone.

And... need I point this out again?... They're focused on crushing the U.S.)

And, as my friend Ashley pointed out, this is happening, too:

Hye Yoon would also like to share that this is happening:

And Megan and Michael are being mauled by dinosaurs:

Finally, I'll leave you with one more video:

So would you please please please please stop watching/listening to the American news for a little bit, because I love you, and I know you're only worrying because you love me, but you're kind of stressing me out more than North Korea is.

Love,
Anne

What's our role?

I've talked here a lot about North Korea.  A lot.  In fact, I've talked so much about it, I wonder if you're starting to get sick of it.  But I hope that's not the case, because I'm going to continue to talk about it.

I've related the situation in North Korea to the Holocaust, and I'm not the only one saying that.  This is the most common comparison made when trying to explain what's happening; a simple Google search can show you that.  This is because, it's true.  The two situations are incredibly similar - gut-wrenchingly, sickeningly similar.

And yet, after 20 years the world still isn't taking a leading role in these atrocities.  The majority of the world is ignoring it.  In our age of technology, when we can see what's happening on the ground there from any computer, this is unacceptable.

But it occurs to me: Maybe the situation is so large that people are unsure of how to help.

I saw a TED Talk today, during which a North Korean refugee makes a suggestion for how we, as individuals can help.  I'd like to share it with you.  Please watch, think, and pray.

Oh my gosh! Anne's going to get blown up!

Just in case your news channel has you panicked about North Korea's bombing threats, please watch this, because this is incredibly true:

For the record, I am perfectly fine, and I have yet to see anyone actually worry about the threats from North Korea.

It's supposed to hurt.

Olivia Engel, 6

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Daniel Barden, 7

Josephine Gay, 7

Dylan Hockley, 6

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6

Madeleine F. Hsu, 6

Chase Kowalski, 7

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6

Jesse Lewis, 6

Grace McDonnell, 7

James Mattioli, 6

Emilie Parker, 6

Noah Pozner, 6

Jack Pinto, 6

Aviele Richman, 6

Jessica Rekos, 6

Caroline Previdi, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison N. Wyatt, 6

Nancy Lanza, 52

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

Rachel D'Avino, 29

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

Victoria Soto, 27

Mary Sherlach, 56

Lauren Rousseau, 30

We spend a lot of time trying to stop hurting in our lifetimes.  Our friends yell at us, and we try to stop hurting.  We get rejected from our preferred colleges, and we try to stop hurting.  Our dogs die, and we try to stop hurting.  Our country is attacked by terrorists, and we try to stop hurting.  People storm into our schools, shooting our children, and we try to stop hurting.  But I'm writing to say that I think we're wrong.  I think it's supposed to hurt and never stop hurting.

The pain is how we know that we're still human.  The pain is how we know that these people mattered.  The pain is not something we should convince ourselves to get over.  We shouldn't desensitize ourselves to these things.  They should cut us to the core each and every time.

I've been watching the TV show "Everwood" lately, and I think that the character Ephram explains this concept the best:

"You know, after my mom died, everybody told me that I was gonna be OK.  That it would take a little time, but I would heal. Well, that didn't ever happen; not really anyway… What you’re feeling right now, Amy, it doesn't ever really go away — not completely. It’s not like, ya know, you’re gonna go back to being the person you were before they died — the person’s gone. It’s more like something inside of you breaks and your body finds a way to compensate for it. Like if you busted your right hand, you figure out how to use the left one. And sure, you might resist for a while because you’re pissed off that you have to learn all this stuff again that nobody else does. Eventually your body takes over and figures it out for you. And you’re glad. Because if it was up to you… you’d look at your broken hand forever and try to figure out what it was like before."

A broken hand, should hurt.  This terribly tragic loss should hurt, and there shouldn't be any shame in that.  We should mourn and grieve, and then we should take measures to prevent this from happening again.  If you destroy your right hand punching a wall, you're not going to turn around and do that with your left; you'll take preventative action.  We can't afford to keep punching the wall  We must come up with protective measures for our children.

Please visit People's website for stories on each of the victims.  Please hurt and grieve over them.  Please cry until you can't anymore.  Then please decide on the best plan of action to stop this from happening again and contact your congress representatives and senators about it.  If all we do is sit back and mull over the atrocity this depraved man committed, we're only opening the door for someone else to follow in his footsteps.  We must take action.  We must speak out.  We must not let these children die in vain.

Terrible News.

Another reposting from The Korean on the issue of the repatriation of the North Korean defectors:

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Terrible news. Mr. Joo Seong-Ha, through Dong-A Ilbo, reports that China, in a clear violation of international law, sent back all 31 North Korean defectors to North Korea. According to sources, North Korea had been arresting and interrogating the defectors' families even before this repatriation -- presumably because China relayed to North Korea the identity of these defectors. Even the families of those who helped these defectors escape out of North Korea are being arrested and interrogated.

The families of those 31 who are in South Korea are wrecked with grief and guilt. One 45-year-old woman met her 70-year-old mother in China for exactly two days before leading her mother to the group in the hopes that her mother would be able to come to South Korea. One high school-aged boy, whose mother died while escaping from North Korea, had a younger sister in that group of 31 that was sent back to North Korea.

This repatriation by China is an unusually aggressive move. So far, when North Korea defectors were arrested in China, the Chinese police would hold the defectors for as long as 6 months before sending them back to North Korea so as to wait for the public reaction to quiet down. This time, however, China repatriated these defectors at the height of the international furor at the issue. (Korean president Lee Myeong-Bak formally requested China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to repatriate these defectors only a week ago.) Significantly, according to sources within the Chinese police, these defectors were not even listed on the usual database, kept by the Chinese police, of North Korean defectors who were sent back to North Korea. This indicates that North Korean Security Bureau [보위부] came to China to directly take these defectors back.

The fight is not over. There are still more lives to be saved -- approximately 300 North Korean defectors who are being held in a Chinese prison as of now. Among them is a mother with a baby who is less than a month old. Also, there may still be the slightest chance of still saving the lives of the 31 people. Several NGOs in South Korea have the names and pictures of the 31 who were sent back, such that the way they were treated in North Korean prison can be tracked and exposed to the world. Although it is not likely, there is a tiny, tiny chance that continued international pressure may yet save their lives.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
                                     

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I can't stand it.  I hate that this is happening... happened.  I hate that the only question that rattles around in my head is, "WHY DON'T PEOPLE CARE?"  I'm sure people care.  It's just hard to see it.

I can't not offer my response.

In the last few hours, Jason Russell made the news again, apparently having had a mental breakdown. Please educate yourselves on the situation and stay up to date. I've been seeing a lot of frustrating comments about it on Facebook, so I would like to offer my response for anyone interested:

I'd like you to think about all of this for a second. Let's assume the worst of Jason Russell. Let's assume that he wants to make Kony famous to make a bunch of money and encourage Kony's cause. Doing something like this would turn the American public against him, just like it seems to have done for you. How would that help these assumed intentions? It can't. These actions can only hurt his cause. Therefore, we can only logically assume that they were a non-lucid (or insane) act. 

That being said, this was the official statement offered by Invisible Children:"Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time." 

Finally, I'd like to say that even if you feel that Jason Russell is disgusting or a pig, I don't think it's something you should be broadcasting. As followers of Christ, it's our responsibilities to be acting in a loving manner toward all people. We are all sinners, and we all have our short-comings. So, even if he was acting entirely lucidly, these comments aren't something that I think should be posted about him.

Although I will admit that I have had my own struggles with wether or not I will be buying Kony 2012 merchandise, I will not waiver on my decision to fight for the freedom of ALL people.  In this case, that means fighting for the rights of the African people whom Joseph Kony is threatening, enslaving, mutilating, and killing.

I want you to make the same choice too, but I don't want you to make it because I'm suggesting it.  I want you to educate yourselves.  Nothing is worse than a bunch of people doing something simply because they're told to.  If you do that, you're no better off than the children whom Kony has brainwashed, and then I'll need to be fighting for your freedom too.  No, go out and read the critiques and the supporting articles.  Watch the Kony 2012 film and, especially watch the original Invisible Children film.

As for me, I'll be busy praying for Russell, praying for the children in Africa (many of whom are, at this moment, waking up in houses stuffed to overflowing with young children in an attempt to protect them from Kony), and even praying for Kony himself.  I will of course, also be busily preparing for April 20.

I hope you will join me in doing all of these things, regardless of how you feel about Russell or Invisible Children, because, the fact remains that Joseph Kony is out there, terrorizing and destroying lives, and he's doing it relatively secretly.  This cannot be allowed to continue.  The world must be awakened to what is happening.  We CANNOT allow this to persist.

For a while, I thought, "There's nothing I can do.  Eventually, Kony will die, and, hopefully, the LRA will with him."  But, if we believe this, we have learned nothing from the deaths of men like Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong Il.  Kony's death will not end the LRA, nor will it protect Africa's children.  Violence cannot bring about peace, just like darkness cannot bring about light.  It can only be through the trial and jailing of Joseph Kony that we can BEGIN to restore these people to life.

I know that's quite a sentence to just leave dangling, but it's explanation is another story for another time, my friends.

The Unthinkable

This time I am quoting from an update posted on one of the petitions that I have been encouraging everyone to sign.  Refer back to my earlier post if you don't know what's going on with North Korea and China.

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The news [is] reporting that China has repatriated the 30 Refugees. 
It seems China has done this..in fear that if this issue get[s] more attention, it will have to face with harsher consequences.
In other words, they want to silence us.

However... we will continue to Cry Out for the thirty who are, as we speak, most likely being tortured.
We will cry out because that is the only thing we can do.
We will continue to be voice for the other several hundred North Koreans in China who are in prison waiting to be deported.
We will continue to raise awareness for the several tens of thousands of North Koreans who have escaped to China in search for food and freedom. Dear China, Please help us save our friends..

Friends of the Thirty One.. Continue your plea and hollering through all mediums so that something like this never happens again...

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It's interesting to me how little response this plea has gotten.  I don't know if it's because of other things being on people's minds or if it can be attributed to the lack of gain for America to intercede.  No one has called for America to arm up and march into North Korea and China.  The call has simply been for an outcry from the world, yet the world has remained silent.  We face quite the quandary: Should we speak out and risk upsetting China, America's financial backer?  Or should we stay quiet and try to ignore the fact that people are dying for trying to get a better life?

I think this goes to show a lot about debt.  While you have it, you are a slave to the whims of those to whom you are indebted.  I can only offer one solution in moving forward: we must cut our spending as a nation.  We must fight for our freedom so that we won't have to be scared to speak out on behalf of what is right.

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you: If you had had the opportunity to save your son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister from torture and death, would you have taken it?

We are all connected in this world, and it's time we started realizing it.

***Sign the petition (and this one too!) to save refugees from North Korea!***

Lent: Filled with Hope

***Don't forget to sign the petition (and this one too!) to save refugees from North Korea!***

Blessing #15 - Being known

I logged into my Facebook account just now to find this waiting for me:

My friend Alex had just gotten on her Facebook to find it blown up with talk about Kony 2012, and, of everyone I've talked to, she's the only one who seems to remember my rants, my tears, my passionate outcries against Joseph Kony.  And so she sent me this note and video of a clip shown on ABC news.

It's just like Alex to know and remember.  It's part of what makes her so special to me.  Not only did she care enough about me to listen to something that was bothering me at the time, she committed it to memory and now is making efforts to share in my joy that all the work that we've put in up to this point is finally coming to fruition.  And she's right - I am filled with hope.  I can hardly stay in one place right now, I'm so anxious to see this end.  I'm like a child waiting for Christmas, except I'm waiting for the freedom of my brothers and sisters who have been taken by the LRA.

Soon.  So very soon.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Have you ever realized that someone knows you?  What was that like for you?

Lent: Joseph Kony

***Don't forget to sign the petition (and this one too!) to save refugees from North Korea!***

Blessing #14: Shared Dreams

Warning:  This post is not rated G or PG, as it discusses incredibly graphic violence.  The video at the end has a much more user-friendly rating.

Joseph Kony.

Joseph Kony.

I keep writing his name, hoping it will get easier, but it doesn't.

I try to not hate anyone, but I can't guarantee that I don't hate this man.  I've spent so much time debating with Nate Kerr what I should do if I ever met this man face-to-face.  I firmly believe that you cannot bring peace through violence, but it is Joseph Kony who is the question to my logic.  Joseph Kony tests every single thing that I claim as a conviction of morality.  I try to censor myself when I talk about him, as I don't like upsetting people, but I will not be doing that today.  The information I will share with you today is the result of years of research on my own part.

In the 1980's, a rebel force rose up against the Ugandan government.  After near defeat, a voice rose up among the rebels: that of Alice Lakwena, the cousin to the then unknown Joseph Kony.  In many ways, she was equated to Joan of Arc for her people.  But in 2007, after fleeing from more technologically advanced forces, she died while hiding in a refugee camp.

Enter Joseph Kony.

Joseph Kony pulled back together his cousin's troops, and promised to instate a government based on the 10 Commandments, but his own people were scared, and turned on him.  He was furious, and began kidnapping their children to brainwash and enlist in his military actions.  He believed (rightly) that it was a lot easier to teach values, rather than reteach values.

His methods are brutal, but effective.

When a child is captured, his or her first act as a member of The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is to perform a public murder of a prominent member of their community, usually their own parents.  Should their mother be pregnant, it is not unheard of for the child to be forced to slice open his or her mother's belly (while she is alive) and have to eat the unborn child him/herself.  This paves the way for a series of psychological traumas that break down the structures of a healthy human mind.  This way, the LRA can mold this mind to accept unnatural actions as normal.  Secondarily, the child is warned that, even if they could escape, they would have nothing to go back to; their community would not want them after they performed a crime so heinous.  This is, sadly, not untrue.

The child is treated well, briefly, but will soon be beaten within an inch or his or her life (assuming he or she is not deemed dispensable).  If they survive, they are expected to keep quiet and follow the orders of their higher ups, or else they will be beaten again, or, worse, forced to beat and/or kill someone they care about within the LRA.

Girls are treated the same as the boys, until they hit puberty, when they are assigned a husband.  Men are assigned wives, based on their rank.  The highest ranked men get the most beautiful and useful wives.  They also are allowed the most wives.  Wives are also valued by their ranking within the LRA.  They are expected to feed their husbands' sexual appetites on demand, doing anything and everything that he wants.  Wives are expected to have sons and lots of them.  The punishment of wives who fail to meet these expectations is left to the discretion of their husbands.

Children who escape require years of rehabilitation, and, even then, they are rarely welcomed by their communities.  Many of them are so indoctrinated by Joseph Kony (especially those who are born into the LRA) that there is no way to restore them to a healthy mindset.  Joseph Kony has permanently addled them.

But there is a solution.

This is a moment I have craved and yearned after for years.  The time is now.  Watch this video and take action.  It's thirty minutes, but you don't even notice them ticking by.  This may be the most important thing you watch this year.  The end of this horrific plague is drawing near.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Make a difference HERE.

The latest on the repatriation issue

Once again, I'm simply copying this off Ask a Korean.  Please keep this issue in your prayers.  Refer back to my earlier post on this topic for my other suggestions on what you can be doing.  While you're at it, sign this petition and this one, too.

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Here are some more tidbits on the North Korean defectors front.

- Graduates of Yeomyung School, a South Korean charter school for North Korean defector children, created the most successful online petition to date. At www.savemyfriend.org, a petition to the officials of the United Nations, European Union and the United States has garnered more than 127,000 signatures so far. Please take your time to sign the petition, and share them on your Facebook and Twitter. It will only take a minute.

Cha In-Pyo (center) protesting in front of the Chinese embassy. (source)

- Backed by the Save My Friend movement, superstar actor Cha In-Pyo and other celebrities organized two protests in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul, on the 18th and on the 21st. National Assemblywoman Park Seon-Yeong has been holding a hunger strike in front of the Chinese embassy since the 21st as well; she plans to continue until China announces that it will treat North Korean defectors as refugees. There are also candle light vigils being held in various cities of Korea.

- The Chinese government is stonewalling. There are reports that nine of the 28 North Korean defectors were already repatriated, although other reports say they are still in China. The Chinese government has refused to verify the whereabouts of those defectors. In a regular briefing held on the 24th, Chinese government official only repeated that China has been handling the issue "in accordance with domestic law, international law and humanitarian principles." When asked which humanitarian principles were followed when China previously repatriated North Korean defectors, the spokesman only repeated that China has been keeping with the principles.

- Korean government is considering what may end up being an extremely helpful measure: issuing temporary South Korean travel certificate to any North Korean defector in China. With the travel certificate, even if the defector is arrested by Chinese police, s/he can credibly claim that s/he is a South Korean citizen. Even if the claim is less than completely credible, it may provide enough cover for the Chinese police to receive bribes and let the defector go. (Apparently, right now the going price is 100,000 yuan per person -- approximately $16,000.)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Act now. Demand the preservation of human rights.

I was informed today that a petition has been created concerning the repatriation of North Korean defectors.  In addition to everything I mentioned HERE, please go HERE and sign this petition.  You have to make a WhiteHouse.gov account, but it's quick, painless, and I've never been sent email from them without requesting it.  We're looking for 25,000 signatures.  I was signature #11.

Leave me a comment with your signature number and a suggestion of what I should do to celebrate signatures numbers 1,000; 10,000; 20,000; and 25,000.  (Because I have absolute faith that they will come.)

Apparently, we have our answer.

***UPDATE: SIGN THE PETITION HERE.***

Recently, as the world knows, Kim Jong-Un succeeded his father as the leader of North Korea.  We all waited with baited breath to see how he intended to rule.  Ladies and gentlemen, we have our answer.

In December, I visited Korea's Demilitarized Zone, and got to peer across the border into North Korea itself.  What I saw broke my heart for the people who live there.  

We've all heard of the few who speak out and make their ways to other countries, gaining refugee status.  Unfortunately, North Korea and China are not honoring this status, "even though North Korea joined the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and inserted additional ‘respects and protections of human rights’ article into the constitution", and the "Chinese government agreed to the UN’s Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the UN Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK stipulates ‘the principle of non-refoulement’ that the North Korean defectors seeking asylum should not be put back to dangerous situation." (Quoted from the article below.)

A single voice can be drowned out with plugged ears, but the voice of the many cannot be quelled.  Let me suggest a plan of action:

1. Read the article below, then post it to any and all social media sites to which you have access.
2. Join with the families of the arrested refugees, whether by mirroring their abstinence from food and drinks, abstaining from something else that these refugees are no longer allowed, setting aside a certain time for prayer for them each day, some combination of these things, or something entirely different.  These people are scared and feeling unheard right now.  Let them know they're not alone.
3. Correspond with your representatives and senators.   (A simple copy-paste of the plee below should do just fine.)  It's an election year in the U.S.; our voices travel further than they usually do.  As such, you could even go all the way to write to the president.  He's made a big show of his camaraderie with South Korea, demand that he stand by that now.  (The White House online correspondence asks for a limit of 2,500 characters, so I would recommend copying and pasting the first three paragraphs of the plee, and then pasting in "As refugees, these people are entitled to protection  under UN Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights.  This situation cannot be allowed to continue.  For more information, please visit http://tinyurl.com/SaveRefugees." Make sure you select "We the People - Petitions" in the subject line. I made sure I requested a response. That is up to you.)
4. Boycott all products from China. Look for the label. Nothing speaks louder than your money.

Let's not be the generation that stood aside and let massive slaughterings of people happen AGAIN.  It is a cycle that keeps repeating.  We ask our grandparents why it took so long for America to respond to Nazi death camps.  We ask our parents why it took so long for America to respond to the situation in Rwanda.  For what will we be known?

Every human life is intrinsically priceless.  Please read the article below, as copied from the blog Ask a Korean, and take action.

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First, a little bit of background. As Kim Jong-Un attempts to consolidate his power in North Korea, one of the new regime's focus has been arresting as many North Koreans in China as possible. Right now, North Korea has sent into China a task force of covert agents numbering in the thousands -- a scale simply unprecedented -- who would pretend to be North Korean defectors, only to rat out true defectors to the Chinese police. The Chinese police arrests these defectors and repatriate them back to North Korea. Once back in North Korea, these defectors will face near certain deaths in gulags out of hard labor and starvation. Recently, there was an arrest of 28 North Korean defectors in China, who will be repatriated back to North Korea in just a few days. Right now, even as we speak, these defectors are essentially facing a death penalty if they are sent back to North Korea. Some of the defectors' families in South Korea (who defected before this group of defectors) are pleading that if these defectors are to be sent back to North Korea, they are better off killing themselves in the Chinese prison.

Mr. Joo Seong-Ha, whom regular readers of this blog would know well, decided to do something about this situation. Below is his plea regarding this issue, translated into English. Mr. Joo is hoping that the social services networks worldwide would be plastered with this message, so that the Chinese government would hopefully think twice before condemning North Korean defectors to certain death.

The Korean knows that a lot of AAK! readers came to this blog because of the peerless insight of Mr. Joo. If you learned anything new about North Korea thanks to one of his posts, you owe him -- and now is your chance to return the favor. It will not take much to put up this message on Facebook, Twitter, LinkdIn, or any other social network to which you belong. Please, please carry this message forward. You may end up saving lives. Thank you.

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Our appeal to the Chinese government and the international community for help. Please stop the repatriation of North Korean defectors! Forced repatriation is ultimately a death sentence.


Please help save the lives of North Korean defectors who are about to be repatriated by The Public Security Bureau of China. The defectors including minors are crying out for help, saying they’d rather die in China than be repatriated. Please help us stop the inhumane repatriation by the Chinese government. Compulsory repatriation will only result in cruel torture, persecution, and public execution. We ask the Chinese government and the global community to help in our effort to protect the human rights and save the lives of the innocent. 

From February 8th to the 13th, 28 North Korean defectors were arrested by the Public Security Bureau agents in three cities near the Chinese border. The first group had 10 people (4 men and 6 women) arrested in Shenyang, the second group consisted of 9 people arrested in Yian-ji, and the third group had 12 people arrested in Changchun. Reportedly, the 10 people detained in Shenyang contacted with their family in South Korea by the phone. 

The refugees escaped from North Korea for many different reasons. They had to suffer extended period of financial crisis, wide-spread starvation, electric power shortage, ‘guilt-by-association’ political system, absence of freedom of speech, travel or relocation, and violence against women and children. Some refugees escaped from the prison camps, while others left their country to meet with their families who had settled in South Korea. Most of the refugees want to come to South Korea but a few of them want to start a new life in other countries like the United States, the U.K. and Canada. 

The arrested defectors will go through 7 to 10 days of investigation before their repatriation. Therefore, the 10 people arrested in Shenyang are now facing immediate deportation. For a decade, the Chinese Bureau of Public Security has postponed the repatriation until the international community diverts their attention to other issues, and has so far repatriated over 10,000 refugees. The Chinese government is now evading negotiation on this matter with ambiguous answers, saying they cannot confirm the arrest of 28 North Koreans.

Recently, the North Korean government ordered a harsher crackdown on escapees during the 100 days of mourning period for Kim Jong-Il. After repatriation, the defectors will be sent to political prisoner camps and their chances of public execution are imminent. In the prison camp, their human rights of will be cruelly abused as they are subject to forced labor, involuntary abortion, physical violence, sexual assault, public execution, torture, medical experiment and lack of hygienic care. Even though North Korea joined the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and inserted additional ‘respects and protections of human rights’ article into the constitution, it has never followed or adhered to any of the rules. 

Most of the refugees want to come to South Korea, and many of them have families already residing in South Korea. For instance, one of the refugees under arrest is a teenager boy who does not have any family or relatives in North Korea but has a brother and a sister in South Korea. In this case, he is a full citizen of South Korea and the South Korean government has the right to ask the Chinese government to send him to South Korea. 

Kim Jong-un and his government must admit the sovereign default and the abuse of human rights of its citizens. As a leader, Kim should help promote the well-being of his citizens rather than promote the death of his people.

North Korean defectors left their country due to poverty, autocracy, and many other political reasons. So, their escape from North Korea and their desire to settle in South Korea prove that they qualify for the status of refugee or asylum seeker prescribed by the international law. The Chinese government agreed to the UN’s Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the UN Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK stipulates ‘the principle of non-refoulement’ that the North Korean defectors seeking asylum should not be put back to dangerous situation. Therefore, the Chinese government must stop the forced repatriation and allow the refugees to continue their lives in other countries.

In an effort to show their opposition to North Korea, the families of the arrested refugees are abstaining from food and drinks, and appealing to the Chinese government while also trying to reach out to the international community. In one extreme case, a father of an arrested female refugee stated that he would rather have his own daughter killed by poison than taken back to North Korea. Her repatriation will only lead to indefinite torture eventually ending with public execution. 

We urge the Chinese government to protect the basic human rights and the lives of all human beings. Also, we encourage the Chinese government to understand and realize the importance of freedom and democracy for all people. Repatriation will cause long and painful suffering to the family members of the refugees. Tens of thousands of people in North and South are already feeling guilty as they failed to save their family. Please help us stop this pain and injustice. 

We appeal to all the people of conscience around the world, including worldwide news media, governments, leaders, and organizations. Please raise public awareness of the North Korean refugee crisis and the devastating effect of the Chinese government’s unjust repatriation. Please help save the lives of North Korean defectors. Show your love for humanity! 

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

***UPDATE: SIGN THE PETITION HERE.***