Originally posted by StTitoInvading North Korea sounds like a recipe for disaster -- but surely there have to be things the rest of the world can do to deal with human rights atrocities.
If was the case that "we" had to go in and oust every dictator or horrible political regime then how many countries would we be invading? How many countries are committing much worse crimes like genocide? The UN should by law intervene in countries that commit genocide, but then the UN now just calls it "ethnic cleansing". Where do we begin, where do we draw ...[text shortened]... roundings better for me and others. I'm not into a world police organization at the moment.
These repressive regimes generally cut off all information from the outside world - and the people only get state-approved propaganda. With all our modern telecomm technology, there's got to be ways to break through the barrier and let the people in places like North Korea and Burma hear the truth about what's really going on.
Originally posted by Melanerpeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_america#The_Cold_War
Invading North Korea sounds like a recipe for disaster -- but surely there have to be things the rest of the world can do to deal with human rights atrocities.
These repressive regimes generally cut off all information from the outside world - and the people only get state-approved propaganda. With all our modern telecomm technology, there's got to be ...[text shortened]... t the people in places like North Korea and Burma hear the truth about what's really going on.
Throughout the Cold War, many of the targeted countries' governments sponsored jamming of VOA broadcasts, which sometimes led critics to question the broadcasts' actual impact. For example, in 1956, Poland stopped jamming VOA, but Bulgaria continued to jam the signal through the 1970s. and Chinese-language VOA broadcasts were jammed beginning in 1956 and extending through 1976.[24] However, after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, interviews with participants in anti-Soviet movements verified the effectiveness of VOA broadcasts in transmitting information to socialist societies. [25] The People's Republic of China diligently jams VOA broadcasts[26]. Cuba has also been reported to interfere with VOA satellite transmissions to Iran from its Russian-built transmission site at Bejucal.[27]David Jackson, former director of the Voice of America, noted "The North Korean government doesn't jam us, but they try to keep people from listening through intimidation or worse. But people figure out ways to listen despite the odds. They're very resourceful."[28]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_korea#Human_rights
The system changed slightly at the end of 1990s, when population growth became very low. In many cases, where capital punishment was de facto[citation needed], it was replaced by less severe punishments. Bribery became prevalent throughout the country[citation needed]. For example, years ago[specify] just listening to South Korean radio could result in capital punishment[citation needed]. However, many North Koreans now illegally wear clothes of South Korean origin, listen to Southern music, watch South Korean videotapes and even receive Southern broadcasts.[25][26]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_North_Korea
The only radio, television, and news organizations that are deemed legal are those operated by the government. The media, as with Kim Il-sung[6] universally praise the administration of Kim Jong-Il.[7][8]
...
Freedom of expression
The constitution has clauses guaranteeing the freedoms of speech and assembly.[13] In practice other clauses take precedence, including the requirement that citizens follow a socialist way of life. Criticism of the government and its leaders is strictly curtailed and making such statements can be cause for arrest and consignment to one of North Korea's "re-education" camps. The government distributes all radio and television sets; citizens are forbidden to alter them to make it possible to receive broadcasts from other nations, and doing so carries draconian penalties.
...
Radio or television sets which can be bought in North Korea are pre-set to receive only the government frequencies and sealed with a label to prevent tampering with the equipment. It is a serious criminal offense to manipulate the sets and receive radio or television broadcasts from outside North Korea. In a party campaign in 2003 the head of each party cell in neighbourhoods and villages received instructions to verify the seals on all radio sets.[18]
As North and South Korea use different television systems (PAL and NTSC respectively), it is not possible to view broadcasts across the border between the two countries; however, in areas bordering China, it has reportedly been possible to receive television from that country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_North_Korea
The press
The press is tightly controlled. All journalists are members of the ruling party, the Workers Party of Korea. [2] Journalists who do not follow the strict laws face punishment in the form hard labour or imprisonment, even for the smallest typing errors.[2][1] Only news that favours the regime is permitted, whilst news that covers the economic and political problems in the country, or criticisms of the regime from abroad is not allowed.[3] The media upholds the personality cult of Kim Jong-il, regularly reporting on his daily activities. Domestic media and the population itself are not allowed to carry or read stories by foreign media and can be punished for doing so. [2]. Restrictions are also placed on the foreign journalists that are allowed into the country under supervision, though many are not permitted to enter. [2] All the information gathered by newspapers and magazines is disseminated by the main news agency, KCNA. North Korea has 12 principal newspapers and 20 major periodicals, all of varying periodicity and all published in Pyongyang. No private press exists.
Newspapers include:
Rodong Sinmun (Labour Daily) - state-controlled
Joson Inmingun (Korean People's Army Daily)
Minju Choson (Democratic Korea) - government organ
Rodongja Sinmum (Workers' Newspaper)
Recently, several journalists from North Korea were secretly trained in China to secretly report on events inside North Korea. November 2007 marked the first publication of the Rimjingang magazine, which is distributed secretly in North Korea and in neighbouring countries. The magazine covers the economic and political situation in the country. The journalists have also provided footage of public executions to South Korean and Japanese media.[1]
[edit] Television and radio
Radio and TV sets in North Korea are supplied pre-tuned to government stations and radios must be checked and registered with the police, though some North Koreans have bought radios tuned to foreign broadcasts.[3] Stations not tuned to government broadcasts are not permitted. There were 4 television stations in 2003: Korean Central TV, Mansudae Television (a cultural station), Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television (targets South Korea). State television is usually off air until its 5pm evening news broadcast.[4] All broadcast media in some way promotes the regime's ideologies and positions, such as juche, and regularly condemns actions by South Korea, Japan the United States and other nations.
Due to the economic conditions in the country, radio is the most widely-used medium. In 2006, there were 16 AM, 14 FM and 11 shortwave radio broadcast stations. According to recent UN data, only 55 of every 1,000 North Koreans have a television in their home. Some foreign broadcast radio stations (see external links) that target North Korea are often jammed, though this can vary. The authorities designate such media as "enemies of the regime". [3]
South Korean programmes cannot be received in North Korea due to incompatibilities and the sets being pretuned, but watching them on VHS machines imported from China is relatively popular.[3] North Korean broadcasts have been picked up in South Korea. [5]