Americans detained in North Korea call for US help

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-EXCITE

By ERIC TALMADGE

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea gave foreign media access on Monday to three detained Americans who said they have been able to contact their families and — watched by officials as they spoke — called for Washington to send a high-ranking representative to negotiate for their freedom.

Jeffrey Fowle and Mathew Miller said they expect to face trial within a month. But they said they do not know what punishment they could face or what the specific charges against them are. Kenneth Bae, who already is serving a 15-year term, said his health has deteriorated at the labor camp where he works eight hours a day.

The three were allowed to speak briefly with The Associated Press at a meeting center in Pyongyang. North Korean officials were present during the interviews, conducted separately and in different rooms, but did not censor the questions that were asked. The three said they did not know they were going to be interviewed until immediately beforehand.

All said they believe the only solution to their situation is for a U.S. representative to come to North Korea to make a direct appeal.

FULL story at link.



Mathew Miller, an American detained in North Korea, speaks to the Associated Press, Monday, Sept. 1, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has given foreign media access to three detained Americans who said they have been able to contact their families and watched by officials as they spoke, called for Washington to send a representative to negotiate for their freedom. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140901/as--nkorea-detained_americans-41a7ad4955.html

[Lochloosa]

1. You have three children and go to NK to leave bibles in nightclubs?

Fowle arrived in North Korea on April 29. He is suspected of leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the northern port city of Chongjin. Christian proselytizing is considered a crime in North Korea. Fowle, 56, lives in Miamisburg, Ohio, where he works in a city streets department. He has a wife and three children aged 9, 10, and 12.

[longship]

6. Yup!

When one goes to North Korea specifically to proselytize ones Christianity, fully knowing the likely consequences of such an act, I cannot have much sympathy.

I despise North Korea, but I still do not understand why these people would put themselves in such peril, especially knowing what North Korea represents.

Knowing that, they get themselves arrested and then start crying when that happens.

Religious proselytization is an insidious thing in any country. Only a fool would attempt it in North Korea.

[karynnj]

8. You wonder if there is more to the story

It had to be the goal of that trip to do just what he did. This had to be a pretty expensive trip. Did some organization pay for it? One would think this is not the first vacation option a father who was part of a family of five would consider.

I wonder if the people who will be strongly advocating that Obama get him back would have done the same had the law violated in NK been something like possessing pot. Both are breaking another country's laws.

The US, which wants its own laws obeyed, really can't argue that it is ok to break other country's laws even if American values do not find the action wrong.

[davidpdx]

30. I think any American who travels abroad should be aware that when you are in a foreign country

you either obey their laws or risk facing punishment. It is stated right there in your passport.

These three idiots gave themselves up as prisoners to a regime that is known to be brutal. My question to them and their families is why should the US have to then bargain to free them after they themselves were at fault for being arrested.

[karynnj]

33. Exactly -- and you absolutely do not simply decide the law is wrong

Not to mention, there is something that seems wrong with someone actually in the US government negotiating with them on this. I think that is why people out of office - notably Carter and Clinton, but also others have been used.

There was a House hearing on Iran around the time of the interim agreement. One Republican spoke of a Christian minister, of Iranian descent who was being held. A Republican asked Kerry why there was no effort to bring this up as part of the agreement. After saying, that as with any American they have tried to use back channels, he made the point that it did not belong as part of the nuclear agreement. He then went further pointing out that giving anything on the nuclear weapons to get the release was not something they would do --- and then said "and you would not want me to".

Almost more than Iran, what would we "give" North Korea for these guys.

I do feel sorry for them, but in the case of the Ohio guy, I really question what group put him up to this. One round trip ticket to Korea could have paid for a nice vacation for all 5 of them - which makes me think this was an intended provocative action. I hope he knew what he signed up for.

[davidpdx]

34. I live right across the border, 26 km

There used to be day tours up to Kaesong and I had thought about going. This was back before things got really nasty the last few years. One of my friends who is also a former co-worker went and said it was interesting. I think given their behavior as of late, if they did reopen the tours I wouldn't go.

[karynnj]

36. Wow

I had seen previous comments, but hadn't realized you were so close.

[iandhr]

19. To quote Bugs Bunny

What a maroon

[newthinking]

23. He certainly understood the risks. But thought that he would be supernaturally kept safe

or returned.

[Duckhunter935]

2. Guess they miss the freedom

of the USA

[3rdwaydem]

3. Why the hell did they go there to begin with?

[TwilightGardener]

17. Jesus told them to. And now he isn't even returning their calls.

[LiberalFighter]

27. Like that response!

[hobbit709]

4. Why anyone in their right mind would go to North Korea is beyond me.

Of course anyone going there to leave bibles is not in their right mind.

[onecent]

20. ANYONE going anyWHERE to leave bibles is not in their right mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marrah_G]

31. Not only do they risk their own lives..

But they also risk the lives of 3 family generations of anyone who might have picked up one of those bibles.

[newthinking]

24. It's all about rewards in the "afterlife". Same thing as

happens when someone decides to blow themselves up in a crowded place. In is just crazier than the other.

[MyNameGoesHere]

5. Oh another poor persecuted christo

Their fellow Jihadist will use this to prove amurka is anti-jihadist, err I mean go fearin, because we didn't invade NK in the name of Jeebus.

NK needs to stop these public attempts to garner cash and move directly to the penalty phase as outlined in their constitutional law.

Capital punishment is a legal and often used form of punishment in North Korea for many offences, such as grand theft, murder, rape, drug smuggling, treason, espionage, political dissidence, defection, piracy, consumption of media not approved by the government, and ""proselytizing religious ideals that contradict practiced Juche ideology, with current knowledge depending heavily on the accounts of defectors. Executions are mostly carried out by firing squad in public, making North Korea one of the last five countries to still perform public executions

Wiki

[jwirr]

7. Why in the hell don't they stay out of these dangerous countries. If they are missionaries then they

go at their own risk. I am sorry that sounds harsh but that is the way it used to be. The state department tells travelers who bother to ask which countries are too dangerous to travel in.

[karynnj]

9. Exactly

Not to mention, I seriously doubt anyone in this country even needs to consult the SD on whether NK is too dangerous. Not to mention, the State Department does not promise to intervene if you break the laws in a foreign country -- something that they did intentionally. It is hard to believe that breaking that law was not the entire, intentional reason for the trip there. The US can not argue that it was an accident - as they could when the two news women were arrested for illegally entering the country.

Not to mention, I would assume that if the President weakened any policy against NK to get these three people back, the right would have a field day accusing him of not being strong enough.

[NYC Liberal]

10. I completely agree. It's fucking North Korea.

Of all the places to visit, they picked that one? Go to one of the ME countries if you want to proselytize where you're not supposed to. Their governments may be oppressive but they're nowhere near as completely fucked up as NK is.

The best part is that when our government bails them out, they'll probably thank God and not all of the people at the State Department who worked their asses for them.

[jwirr]

12. Or the taxpayers who pay the bill.

[atreides1]

11. Interesting

And here I was under the impression that martyrdom was something that these three men would look forward to!

On the other hand this could also be nothing more then a propaganda attempt by the North Korean government, of which these men are unwilling assistants?

There is always the chance that their faith isn't really that strong...now that they have to face the consequences of their actions!

[whereisjustice]

13. those fuckers are the first to complain about the US lack of religious freedom

You don't have to go to NK to see persecution. If they wanted to do some good, they'd work to change the system here that stuffs prisons full of non-rich criminals, letting rich criminals walk free.

They'd work to change the system that sends millions of jobs to oppressive governments in China and India, causing poverty and economic disparity here in the US.

But, no. They have to go save NK. With bibles.

At least they can burn them for fuel during winter.

[EEO]

14. Here's a good way not to get stuck in North Korea - Don't go to North Korea.

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Fred Sanders]

15. Fox News sent them, willing puppets in the name of Jebjesus....the baggers are all over this.

The article pretends to know nothing of why they were arrested....the article is part of the propaganda, so very carefully planned.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Idiots.

[factory]

18. Send these three for a trade

Send over Michelle Bachman, Louise Gohmert "Pyle" and Dickless Cheney even up. They're even more nuts than North Korea's leader. They would get along fine and dandy.

[LiberalElite]

21. No sympathy -

I'm not an unsympathetic, uncaring person but, really, planting Bibles in North Korea? Did they think they were so special Jesus would protect them? At best they're now pawns for NK to use for its own purposes.

[geek tragedy]

22. Idiots. Now they're acting as props for

North Korea.

[OilemFirchen]

25. Self-inflicted wound. Now with more salt.

Local man detained in North Korea will lose job

Jeff Fowle, the Moraine street department worker held for almost four months in North Korea, is close to losing his job due to his prolonged absence, the city manager said Monday.

"We're going to have to do something with that pretty soon," Moraine City Manager Dave Hicks said. "At some point, we can't let this go on forever."

...

"If this goes beyond the end of September, then I'm in grave danger of losing my job. That's when my vacation benefits run out and I'll be out of a job and Tatyana will be out of an income. My kids might be out on the street. Our house is paid for but there's all kinds of expenses," Fowle said during the CNN interview, one of three five minutes sessions with American's held in North Korea, granted at a hotel in Pyongyang.

[Marrah_G]

32. The last thing this guy should be worrying about is a job

If they don't kill him outright there is a good chance he will die in a labor camp. Prison there is not like prison here!

[Nobel_Twaddle_III]

26. the pic is not a 56 year old man !

are they using a picture of a much younger man to generate sympathy ?

[LiberalFighter]

28. Leave them there!

[hughee99]

29. I'd be outraged at the oppression, except

I don't support what they were doing there, so instead I'm going to throw in with the "idiots, they should have seen it coming" crowd.

On a related note, a prominent human rights activist was just arrested after arriving in Bahrain, but I support her cause, so in that case, it's not a "she should have seen that coming" but rather an "I'm outraged they would treat her this way"

[Nihil]

35. Shame that he didn't go there sooner ...

... like before he added his idiocy into the gene pool for the future ...

He can stay in NK until he rots but the damage has been done.

Drip, drip, drip ...