U.S. reporter jailed in North Korea calls sister

[Blue_Tires]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – One of the two US reporters jailed in North Korea made a telephone call to her US-based sister, Lisa Ling said in an interview broadcast on Thursday.

"It was a tremendous relief to hear Laura's voice last night," Lisa Ling told CNN affiliate KOVR in California.

"It was only the first time I have heard her voice in weeks," she said, adding the call was made late Tuesday.

"That silence has been just so terrifying and deafening."

Border guards detained American TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee on March 17 along the frontier with China while they were researching a story about refugees fleeing North Korea.

A court on June 8 sentenced Ling, 32, and Lee, 36, to 12 years of "reform through labor" for an illegal border crossing and an unspecified "grave crime."

Laura Ling "was very specific about the message she was communicating and she said, 'look, we violated North Korean law and we need our government to help us. We're sorry about everything that happened but now we need diplomacy," Lisa Ling told KOVR.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090709/ts_alt_afp/nkoreausskoreamedia

[rd_kent]

1. And exactly WHY is the US not doing more?

Dont understand the logic here. This is an opportunity to open up a dialogue with NK and get one of our citizens back.

[sledgehammer]

2. Because unfortunately NK has the upper hand

The two journalists crossed the border illegally, and have never denied it (though I'm not sure what the "grave crime" is all about).

So any efforts from the US will come with extremely unreasonable demands from NK (Kim Jong-Il makes Ahmedinijad look normal).

It's clear NK can not be trusted with any deal/incentives/etc, so it's a tough situation for the US. What can the US offer them?

The Roxana Saberi case was different because the spy charge was impossible to prove by Iran, and so Iran was always at a disadvantage. Plus, Iran is a country you can negotiate with to some degree.

Unless Kim Jong-Il has a change of heart, I doubt any progress is going to be made. He might free them at some point and use their freedom as a spectacle, to show how merciful he is.

Feel really bad for the reporters. But sadly they have given NK a golden opportunity.

[Jkid]

5. NK used the grave crime thing as an excuse.

They arrested and jailed the two US reporters because they were attempting to expose North Korea in a negative light.

[derby378]

3. Was Laura pressured into saying she broke DPRK law?

Promises of early release? Torture? Threats against Euna? I can't help but wonder...

[ohio2007]

4. Why would Kim allow her a phone call ? What kind of message is that sending ?nt

[boppers]

6. Maybe she knew it was illegal?

Several reporters have covered the same story (without getting arrested), but all are aware of the risks.