Thursday, September 24, 2009

Nine North Koreans Escape to Vietnam

By CHOE SANG-HUN for the New York Times


SEOUL, South Korea — Nine North Koreans entered the Danish Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday seeking political asylum and passage to Seoul, South Korean activists said.

The group entered Vietnam from China in recent weeks through smuggling routes, said Kim Sang-hun, a leader of the International Network of North Korean Human Rights Activists who assisted in the North Koreans’ escapes to Vietnam.

The rights network said the defectors carried a message in English: “We are now at the point of such desperation and live in such fear of persecution within North Korea that we have come to the decision to risk our lives for freedom rather than passively await our doom. The only power we have left is to appeal to you on our knees and with tears.”

Ole Brix Andersen, a spokesman at the Danish Foreign Ministry, confirmed that a group of people believed to be North Koreans had entered its embassy in Hanoi and “asked for help and protection,” The Associated Press reported. He said they would be allowed to stay at the embassy for the moment “because we do not send people out who could face some kind of persecution.”


full article can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/world/asia/25korea.html

Reuter's article on the same event:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58N11P20090924

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

LOBA 2nd Gen. Meeting

Hey everyone!

It's already the 5th week of school and time for LOBA events to get started! To update you guys on what's going on in North Korea, what's going on with LiNK Headquarters, and what we're doing here at Cal, we'll be having a staff meeting this SUNDAY. So mark your calenders.

Who: YOU!
What: Staff Meeting
When: Sunday, Sept 27 @ 8 PM
Where: 255 Dwinelle
Why: to help spread awareness about what's going on in North Korea.


Hope to see you guys there.
- E-board

Sunday, September 13, 2009

N. Korean Succession

Hey everyone,

just wanted to update with some interesting news about the succession of Kim Jong Il's youngest son as the next leader of North Korea.




SEOUL, South Korea
— North Korea has launched a public propaganda campaign to prepare its people for the succession of Kim Jong Il's youngest son as leader, a news report said Sunday.

North Korea has mentioned Kim Jong Un by his full name — which it had not done in the past — and his qualifications in broadcasts through speakers installed in each house, Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified source on North Korean affairs.

The broadcast campaign was launched in Pyongyang about two months, but it was not clear if it had been extended to other parts of the country, Yonhap said.

North Koreans are obligated to install speakers in their homes to listen to broadcasts on policy of the ruling Workers' Party and its propaganda, according to North Koreans who have defected to the South.


source: FOX News
for the rest of the article, go here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,549662,00.html?test=latestnews

Monday, September 7, 2009

LiNK - first informational mtg.

Hey everyone!

LiNK Outreach Bay Area is ready for another semester of reaching out to promote human rights awareness!

We will have our first informational meeting this coming Tuesday, September 8th @ 8 pm in 87 Evans Hall. Please come out to learn more about what's going with human rights in North Korea and what we're doing here at Cal to spread the word.

If you're interested in helping out, or just learning more about North Korea, come check us out! We'll be handing out staff applications for those of you who want to get more involved.

Hope to see you all there!

What: LiNK Outreach Bay Area General Meeting
When: Tuesday, Sept 8. @ 8 pm
Where: 87 Evans Hall



Sincerely,
LiNK Outreach Bay Area