Is North Korea making up second Cuban Missile Crisis?

 Panamanian authorities caught a North Korean ship and uncovered the illicit cargo last week—hidden in a shipment of brown sugar. When the Panamanian investigators boarded the ship to conduct a search. The North Korean crew resisted roughly, including an attempt by the captain to commit suicide. And On that ship they found missile parts and some sophiscated weapons. Of Course, the Cuban foreign ministry claimed the obsolete, Soviet-made weapons, which included two fighter jets and the parts for anti-aircraft missiles, were being sent to Pyongyang for repair. But we can easily guess that there is a serious violation and a kind of conspiricy.




United Nations sanctions prohibit the sales of arms to North Korea. Whether it violates UN's resoultions or not. There is some more important point in this uncovering. It’s not 1962 anymore, and the players are not Kennedy and Khrushchev, but for some reason a North Korean ship left Cuba recently with sophisticated missile parts on board. It doesn’t seem too likely that Cuba is providing North Korea with missile parts, so it’s not entirely clear what kind of transaction was going on. However, we can smells a very suspicious scant.

Now, if North Korea is actually selling missiles to Cuba, which remains communist and hostile to the U.S., and also remains a mere 90 miles from the United States shores - that is a very big problem. We simply cannot have a hostile nation pointing missiles at USA from such close range. Kennedy understood this in 1962, which is why he ordered a Naval blockade of Cuba and forced a standoff with the Soviet Union that ultimately forced Nikita Khrushchev to back down and get Soviet missiles off the island.

Today, Cuba is no longer a Soviet client state because there is no longer a Soviet Union. Apparently the Castro brothers haven’t given up the ghost on the communism thing, which is why they’re still maintaining friendships with the likes of Kim Jong Un. But they no longer have Moscow to protect them if they get out of hand. Vladimir Putin may not be their friend. Maybe Fidel and Raul realize no one is there to save them anymore and they figure they need to arm themselves against a potential U.S. invasion. If so, it's very natural that they seeks an allied nation like North Korea, which has been threatening USA by Nuke, to provide some WMD weapons including long-lange missiles. Thereis another evidence showing that there is under-connection between North Korea and Cuba.

Another North Korean ship stopped in Cuba last year after taking a sea route similar to that of the North Korean cargo ship caught carrying weapons from Cuba in Panama earlier this week. Last year's port call in by the O Un Chong Nyon Ho hints at a more extensive arms connection between the two Stalinist countries. The Chongchongang rumbled by Panamanian authorities this week made the same port calls. What cargo the O Un Chong Nyon Ho carried last year is not known, but it is likely that it also carried weapons parts concealed in a shipment of sugar.


Additionally Gen. Kim Kyok Sik, Chief of the Korean People’s Army visited Cuba three weeks ago and met with Cuban President Raúl Castro in Havana. And they made a tour of military bases.



Actually we do not know the truth. But we can feel there is very strange and dangerous moves around us. If Cuba really is acquiring missiles from North Korea, the U.S. has to take action to stop the Cubans from acquiring the capability to launch one at us. We don't want to have the terrible experience of the second Cuban Missile Crisis again.

Japanese politicans may forget their past war crimes

In those days Vandalism is very rampart in the Japanese political stage. Som right-wing politicans may close their eyes and turn deaf ears to the their shame past while they are very busy in assaulting  its neighoring countries history. A Japanese prominent politican said "military prostitution of Asian women before and during the Second Word War was necessary to maintain discipline". Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto, who is also co-leader of an emerging conservative political party, added,  "there was no clear evidence that the Japanese military coerced women to become what are euphemistically called “comfort women”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qctxOMfNhxw

So South Korean people got angry at his absurd remarks.  The Seoul Central District Court yesterday convicted a Japanese right-wing activist of defaming Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II, the so-called comfort women.

In a related matter, the court awarded a family member of independence activist Yoon Bong-gil 10 million won ($8,780) for damages. Nobuyuki Suzuki, 47, a member of a Japanese extreme right-wing party, was sued after having tied a wooden stake with the message “Takeshima [Japan’s name for the Dokdo islets] is Japan’s territory” to a symbolic statue dedicated to the women last year.

The statue is located in front of the Japanese embassy in central Seoul.

Yoon’s family member also filed a defamation lawsuit against the Japanese man for placing a similarly controversial stake at a monument in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, commemorating the Korean independence activist.

Suzuki has described Yoon as a terrorist and has rationalized forced sexual slavery as “voluntary prostitution” on his blog, saying there is no record backing up forced sexual services to Japanese military personnel.

“Suzuki hurt the reputation of the [Korean independence] activist by spreading false information and insulted him by placing the stake at the memorial,” Judge Lee Jae-eun said.

Truly Japanese Politicans may forget their shame past atrocities during World War II. If they have a touch of consciece, at least they should stop defaming the victimes of the war. At a glance of Japanese political arena, they are becoming crazy, I think. Anyone has to make this frantic drive stopped.    


 

President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to block the North Korea's possession of neuclear weapons.

Reportedly President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to cooperate on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at the summit talks on June 27. “The two of us shared a common understanding that Pyongyang’s possession of nuclear weapons is unacceptable under any circumstances”, President Park said after the summit meeting. Additionally the two presidents agreed that the Korean Peninsula trust-building process will help ease tensions and bring about sustainable peace.

Chinese premier Li Keqiang also made clear that China's standard position is to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Of course, China added, “in regard to this, both sides agree that the development of nuclear weapons by related parties is a serious threat to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia, including the Korean peninsula.





Although China seemed to avoide to directly specify North Korea, the tone of voices from the two country's leasders is higher and clearer than any other times for anti-North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons. I am not sure that the Chinese leader and President Park shared the same view that North Korean possession of nuclear weapons cannot be tolerated in any situation.



However, the atmosphere of this talks was much more progressed. Thank to the China'a special affinity for President Park, I think China opened its mind more widely to Korea. I hope it will help them solve the matter of North Korean nuclear weapon. In this context, New era for the next 20 years for two countries is expected.

There is something unusual about China’s affinity with South Korea President Park Geun-hye.

There is something unusual about China’s favor with South Korea President Park Geun-hye who will visit China from June 27 to 30. That is very strange if we take into account of her leneage background. Her late father is Park Chung-hee who was a staunch anti-Communist leader. Then China is run by the Communist Party.




Of course, the fact that Park is the first female president in Korea is something inspiring to China’s elite group. However, this in not enough to explain Chinese's special affinity with President Park.



There is another important reason. As media also splashes, Park is a fluent Chinese speaker. I heard that Chinese feel instant affinity with foreigners who speak Chinese. Perhaps it's right. So, I guess the language factor has played an indisputable role in the favorable perception of the Chinese on Park.



It is known that President Park made a broad good relationship with Chinese high officials and prominent politicians. I think it maybe play a good role in brodening bilateral understanding and solving the matter of North Korea. Perhaps after Park's state-visit to China, China might raise the level of opression to North Korea concerning of nuclear weapons.



Anyway, I hope Chinese affinity for Park will affect affirmatively to ease the tension in the east Northern Asia and will contribute to the development of relation a notch up between China and South Korea.

Hopeful talks between two Koreas, but North Korea should say sorry first.

Unexpectedly North Korea suddenly proposed talks with South Korea. In the light of recent situation it is hard to expect. They have taken hardline stance with angry rhetorics and threats toward South Korea and rejected talks proposals all the time. By the way, why did they change their attitude?

There are some points. Firstly, North Korea bent the knee to the pressure of China. China has called several times for North Korean regime to stop provacative behaviors and restart talks with South Korea. China, which could not be on the side of North Korea any more after UN sanctions on it because of the third nuke test and rocket(long range missile) launching, even showed its teeth to North korea to turn off the faucet of oil pipe which is the only source of oil supply. It is speculated that a strong warning was given to North Korea when Choi Yonghae, who is very high and key official of NK, visited China.

Secondly, Kim Jongun could'nt afford to endure the severe starvation. They are now on the verge of financial bankrupt and food shortage. A month ago North Korea stopped Kaesong Industrial Complex which is the dollar-cow for a reason of fight for self-pride between South Korea and North Korea.

There is another view point that President Park Guen-hye's consistent talks policy on the basis of Korean Peninsula Trust Process eventually obtains effect. Korean Peninsula Trust Process is, that is to say, to build trust step by step in the process of exchanges and cooperations between two Koreas while doing easier one.

At any rate, the fact that North Korea changed its mind and first proposed talks with South Korea is a very good sign. it's very wellcomming. But the sincere attitude that North Korea should take responsibility for stopping Kaesong Industrial Complex and is the most important thing. In the case of Kumgang Mt. sightseeing, a North Korean guard shot a South Korea woman tourist to death and they didn't offer any apology. furthermore, North Korea unilaterally shut down of Kaesong Complex by the means of theratening South Korea. It drove forcibly South Korea employers and staff out of North Korea. It caused a great damage on them.

If North Korea wants to succeed in bearing some fruits, it should offer an apology for that first. Additionally it should make clear that it will never go back to the past. Please not a fake smile any more. I hope good luck.

Poor North Korea young Defectors! Who can save their miserable souls?

9 North Korean Defectors Sent Home From Laos Via China, South Korean Report Says

SEOUL, South Korea — Nine North Korean defectors have been forced to return to their country from China after being captured in Laos, a South Korean news report says.

Laos had been assumed to be a safe route for North Koreans leaving their mostly poverty-stricken homeland. Activists say that defectors who are returned to North Korea can be punished or even killed by the regime, considered one of the world's most repressive and brutal.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the defectors were flown home Tuesday despite a request from South Korea that China not repatriate them. The report cited an anonymous foreign ministry official in Seoul, who also expressed strong regret over the Chinese decision. The foreign ministry declined to confirm the report.

 

The report said the defectors, aged between 15 and 23, fled to Laos through China last month and were caught by Laotian authorities earlier this month. Laos sent the defectors to China on Monday, weeks after a Laotian delegation visited the North Korean capital.


In a statement, the U.S. State Department said it was concerned about reports and urged "all countries in the region to cooperate in the protection of North Korean refugees within their territories."

Close to 25,000 North Koreans have left their country since the Korean War, most of them over the last 10 years.

Often with the help of Christian missionary groups and having paid thousands of dollars to people smugglers, they have traditionally travelled first to China and then onward through Southeast Asian countries to Thailand, where they can fly to South Korea with the help of the government in Seoul. Defections across the land border between the Koreas are very rare.


China, North Korea's foremost ally, does not recognize North Korean defectors as asylum seekers and can return them.


"It's tragic and disappointing," Kim Eun-young, an activist with the Seoul-based Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, said Thursday of the reported repatriation. "We fear defectors will now feel more intimidated about trying to come to South Korea through Laos or other Southeast Asian countries."

U.N. concerned about North Korean defectors in China

A North Korean flag on a tower flutters in the wind at a North Korean village near the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in this picture taken just south of the border, in Paju, north of Seoul, February 15, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lee Jae-Won

GENEVA

GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations human rights investigator and the U.N. refugee agency voiced concern on Thursday about the fate of nine North Korean defectors, some of them children, who were sent back to China this week from Laos after trying to cross the border.



Chinese authorities are obliged under international law not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution and possibly death, Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said.



"I have very real concerns about the penalties and treatment they could face if returned to DPRK and all the concerned authorities have an urgent responsibility to ensure their protection," Darusman said in a statement issued in Geneva.



He said no one should be forced to return to North Korea where, he said, "they may face persecution or severe punishment, including torture and the death penalty".



Antonio Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, voiced grave concern over the safety of the deportees, whose asylum claims he said had not been assessed.



In a separate statement he said his agency was seeking information about their whereabouts. All states had a duty to refrain from measures that could lead to returning a person to a country where his or her life or freedom would be threatened.



The nine youths, all believed to be orphans, were sent back to China on May 27 after being arrested by Laotian police, Darusman said. Guterres said that they were arrested on May 10 in Laos and that five of the nine were children.



"I am extremely disappointed that the Laos Government appears to have abdicated its protection responsibilities in this way, and I urge the Chinese authorities not to do the same," he said.



North Korean authorities consider it a criminal offence to leave the country without official permission, according to Darusman's latest report.



Darusman, a former attorney-general of Indonesia, is part of a commission of inquiry launched in March to investigate violations and possible crimes against humanity in North Korea.



The three-member commission is expected to focus on allegations of torture and use by North Korea of labor camps believed to hold some 200,000 people, activists say. Pyongyang denies the existence of such camps and is not expected to cooperate.



The U.N. General Assembly has expressed serious concern about the situation of refugees returned to North Korea and the punishments they can face.