The Dark Side of Migration
Who knows if these charges against these individuals are trumped up or not, but if true, it is a fitting punishment
On the 22nd, a source reported that a public trial were held at a City Stadium in Hoiryeong, North Hamkyung province, on the 30th last month against 15 human traffic suspects and 4 of them were sentenced to death.
Hundreds of populations watched the trial organizing each people’s unit. The court confirmed their human traffic charge declaring “They have sold our people to China” Other two of them were sentenced to life imprisonment and one were sentenced to 7 years.
The capital sentenced have been identified to be 2 men and 2 women aged from late-thirties to early-forties. It has been reported that only 2 of them attended the trial for one was too weakened to move and the other tried suicide.
The source described “This time, the public trial was closely watched by the National Security Agency. The agents and safeguards even monitored in the crowd whether anyone was recording the process of the trail.”
The Good Friends, an organization, supports for North Korea, revealed through the report on the 13th that 2 transgressors will be executed in the public in June. Based on this report, possibly they might be the same individuals who sentenced on the 30th last month.
This organization announced “the 2 female transgressors are a woman who moved from Rasun to Hoiryeong for marriage and her cousin, who have been accused of trafficking for 4 times. The woman sold her children through her cousin as a broker at 3,000 Yuan (US$362) to China.
The Further consequences have been gaining public attentions as the source detailed “It has been informed the 2 women are sentenced to indoor execution.”
It’s one thing to get people out of the country, it is completely different thing if the sole purpose of getting them out is to sell them into possible slavery and abuse. Nonetheless, the problem stems from the lack of free movement between North Korea and China. If the North Korean regime can accuse people who help North Koreans escape of trafficking, it could potentially obscure the real problem and our ability to solve it.
But as long as there is a huge demand of people trying to leave the country, there will be criminals who are willing to exploit them.
Update: For the record, I do not think these 15 North Korean did what they are accused of. But exploitation of refugees does exist and it’s better for all of us if it did not.
