Harsh Punishments for Poor Mourning By Choi Song Min
[2012-01-11 09:29 ]
The North Korean authorities have completed the criticism sessions which began after the mourning period for Kim Jong Il and
begun to punish those who transgressed during the highly orchestrated mourning events.
Daily NK learned from a source from North Hamkyung Province on January 10th, “The authorities are handing down at least six months in a labor-training camp to anybody who didn’t participate in the organized gatherings during the mourning period, or who did participate but didn’t cry and didn't seem genuine.”Furthermore, the source added that people who are accused of circulating rumors criticizing the country’s 3rd generation dynastic system are also being sent to re-education camps or being banished with their families to remote rural areas.
Daily NK earlier reported news that criticism sessions were being held at all levels of industry, in enterprises and by local people’s units starting on December 29th, the last day of the mourning period. A source said at the time that the central authorities had ordered the sessions to be completed by January 8th.
The North Hamkyung source commented of the sessions that they "created a vicious atmosphere of fear, causing people to accuse ‘that young upstart’ (Kim Jong Eun) of preying on the people now that he has taken power."
Along with criticism sessions, the authorities also turned up the heat on efforts to idolize Kim Jong Eun immediately after the mourning period ended, something which has yet to let up. “Every day from 7am until 7pm they have vehicles for broadcast propaganda parked on busy roads full of people going to and from work, noisily working to proclaim Kim Jong Eun’s greatness,” the source explained.
The intense propaganda is said to be taking its toll on the people as well, with the source commenting, “People in factories and schools, regional and ward Party members, members of the Youth League and the Union of Democratic Women are all being made to study the Joint New Year’s Editorial and the greatness of Kim Jong Eun in the morning and afternoon, with the sessions packed so tightly together without a break that people are just exhausted.”
The source even revealed that public trials are being employed without regard for the frigid weather to judge people who attempted to leave North Korea during the mourning period, either to defect or to smuggle, as well as those discovered using mobile phones to make calls out.
While it has not been possible to verify the public trial claim, earlier the authorities did order the military to shoot anyone who attempted to defect during the mourning period and eliminate their family, so it would not be surprising. The source agreed with earlier testimony stating that while it is usually possible to escape punishment during such crackdowns with bribes, it is much more difficult to do so now.
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El articulo original acerca de estos rumores, proviene de la página "Daily NK", que publica información en base a supuestos testigos, relacionada a la intercepción de señales celulares desde China y conversaciones con ciudadanos que habitan en un área cercana a las antenas de transmisión en la frontera. El problema, es que no se puede comprobar la veracidad de la información, puesto que registros acerca de la comunicación entre ciudadanos norcoreanos y entrevistadores de Daily NK, no existen.
La historia de esta página, está estrictamente relacionada a la organización Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights , que organiza seminarios y charlas comunicacionales, fundadas en la idea de contribuir en el progreso humano, la protección de los derechos humanos y de una democracia para la RPDC, según las referencias de su sitio web oficial. Esta organización, posee varios proyectos como la mantención y colaboración con una revista llamada
NK Vision, la página web de información llamada
“Daily NK” y la radio
Free Chosun, proyectos, que se mantienen activos gracias a la contribución económica en base de donaciones en los bancos KB Koomin Bank y Korea Exchange Bank, con cuentas y códigos establecidos indicados en sus páginas. Además de recibir donaciones de particulares, recibe donaciones de la organización estadounidense fundada por el congreso de los Estados Unidos, National Endowment for Democracy (NED) que contribuye con una cifra de $145.000.
Esta organización fue fundada en Seúl, el año 1999 por "disidentes" de la RPDC y ciudadanos surcoreanos, entre los cuales se encuentran Han Ki Hong, Sohn Kwang-joo y Hwang Yang Yop, siendo este último un importante colaborador, ya que ocupo distintos cargos en las instituciones norcoreanas, como las de Presidente de la Asamblea Popular Suprema y secretario de Relaciones Internacionales del Partido de los Trabajadores de Corea, hasta su salida del país y establecimiento en Seúl el año 1997.
La organización NKnet y sus trabajos han sido citados por varios medios de comunicación coreanos e internacionales, como el
Chosun Ilbo, el Wall Street Journal y otros. En su página oficial NKnet, menciona algunas caracteristicas de su línea editorial, como el apoyo a los derechos humanos individuales, la democracia representativa y el sistema de libre mercado, que es catalogado como uno de "los mejores logros de la humanidad moderna”.
Cabe destacar que todas las citas mencionadas en este documento están sacadas directamente de las páginas web de sus organizaciones, el viernes 13 de enero del 2012, saludos.