N Korean Christians Denied Entry to US

[BayCityProgressive]

Okay so big word of caution. This is from the Communist Party USA newspaper "Peoples Weekly World" however, they usually don't report foreign affairs like this unless their is some accuracy to them. I am hoping someone else can shed more light on this subject. If this story is true....why would the US deny them visas?

http://www.pww.org/article/view/9393/

The Korean Christian Association, which represents Christians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), has condemned the U.S. authorities for denying a KCA delegation entry into the United States.

The group had planned to travel to Birmingham, Ala., where its members had been invited to participate in the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA.

The PCUSA, with 2.4 million members in about 11,100 congregations, is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S.

A spokesperson for the KCF issued the statement, published by the Korea Central News Agency, condemning the action as “a rude behavior disregarding international practice and etiquette” and a “suppression of religion, as it openly restricted and persecuted the legitimate religious activities of the Korean Christian Federation” and the PCUSA.

The statement continued, “We bitterly denounce the recent action taken by the U.S. authorities as a grave infringement upon the free religious life and rights of Christians and an inhumane behavior … and strongly demand they officially apologize for this.”

[Redstone]

1. A Communist newspaper, and the North Korean news agency.

Double-barreled credibility, right there.

Redstone

[hughee99]

2. IIRC,

It's not exactly unprecedented for the US to deny visas to groups from N. Korea, Cuba, Iran and other countries. I believe it's usually done on national security grounds, or in protest to something going on in that nation.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. I know I know

Like I said in my post..read with a grain of salt. I just thought if it was true it seems like the administration is trying to stop any form of friendly relations or tolerance between the two nations people. I am assuming religious groups in N Korea are probably similar to what is in China in that the state heavily controls what they can and can't say.

[hughee99]

4. It may be done in protest to the missile launch. n/t

[BayCityProgressive]

5. yeah that's true...

just call me a crazy wild eyed liberal but...wouldn't friendly humane relations between the people of both nations increase the chance that those missiles would not have to be used for military purposes? Just a crazy thought.