North Korea says it will put two American tourists on trial

North Korea says it will put two American tourists on trial

North Korea has announced that it is preparing to put two American tourists on trial for carrying out what Pyongyang says were hostile acts against the country.

Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle were detained nearly three weeks apart in April. North Korean authorities have not specified what the two did that was considered hostile or illegal, or what kind of punishment they might face. It also did not say when the trial would begin.

"Their hostile acts were confirmed by evidence and their own testimonies," read a partial statement from the official Korean Central News Agency.

Fowle arrived in the county on April 29. North Korea's state media said in June that authorities were investigating him for committing acts inconsistent with the purpose of a tourist visit.

Diplomatic sources said Fowle was detained for leaving the Bible in his hotel room. But a spokesman for Fowle's family said the 56-year-old from Ohio was not on a mission for his church.

www.foxnews.com...

Now the question here is why would anyone knowingly venture into NK as a tourist? It’s not like the whole world is ignorant of the situation there and the atrocities being committed by that rogue nation.

I’m sorry but I have little sympathy for people doing dumb things and then crying about the consequences..

Semper

a reply to: semperfortis

Well, first of all, I have to agree with you. No one from outside North Korea should go there unless, or until the current system of governance is changed by whatever means, to allow normal interactions between its people, it's government, and potential tourists to the nation. Otherwise than that, it should not be considered a good idea to visit, unless one is of the opinion that the surface of Io, moon of Jupiter, seems like a good place to catch a breath of fresh air, and enjoy some geothermal heat therapy.

That said, North Korean policy regarding dealing with persons from outside their nation, their system, is notoriously poor, and should be addressed. Kim Jong Un and his amusingly dressed generals, ought to realise at some point, that there's is the only nation which suffers the particular tide of poor global opinion, that ranges against them, and that there must be a reason for that. While I am not one to wish to dictate to anyone, the North Korean government behaves intensely poorly toward its people, in such a way as to not only directly harass, starve, and enslave its citizens in a very real and physically immediate manner (which defines the region apart from nations which do it by the back door, like my own, and most western governments whose treatment of their citizens could be seen as a passive enslavement), but behaves toward the rest of the world in a fashion which compounds the harsh conditions in the country.

As much as I am aligned toward letting everyone get on with it for the most part, where international relations are concerned, this unacceptable state of affairs will need to be addressed before I will show any surprise toward such a scenario, as the one which is playing out with these two tourists. If you do not want to be hit with an airstrike, do not visit the Middle East. If you do not want to be imprisoned unjustly, then do not visit blatant dictatorship lead nations.

The mathematics is of such a simple sort, that even my minimal arithmetic ability is sufficient to come to this entirely reasonable conclusion.

a reply to: semperfortis

Now the question here is why would anyone knowingly venture into NK as a tourist?

When I read your headline, that is the exact thought that entered my mind!!!

I wonder whom these two persons worked for......really worked for......

a reply to: TrueBrit

Sometimes I wonder if events such as these are nothing more than improv scenarios designed to elicit a world response; then I wake up and realize that can not be true because NK could care less what the rest of the world thinks..

So a couple of people got a case of the 'stupids' and decided to go into North Korea and look around? Not the brightest thing to do. I can think of better places to go touring .....

a reply to: FlyersFan

No kidding

I could recommend hundreds of places just as beautiful, if not more so, and no danger of being imprisoned..

Probably more to this though

a reply to: semperfortis

I know what you mean. The whole scenario is farcical in the extreme! In fact, it seems like the beginning of a sequel to Johnny English, that silly spy/comedy movie with Rowan Atkinson.

I imagine that film going something like this:

Gets off the plane wearing a tactical Hawaiian shirt, khaki jungle pants and sandals with listening devices in them, fumbles through several thinly veiled surveillance checks, accidentally manhandles a generals middle aged wife, falls through a window in a state building, before accidentally defacing a statue of the current leader, catching hold of an ear to break his fall, which promptly breaks off, leaving the protagonist lying crumpled and bemused at the foot of the statue, while two hundred men in parade dress point nastily effective looking rifles at him and shout a lot...

The rest of the movie would just be poorly executed escape attempts with slapstick results!

In all seriousness though, one gets the impression that when one REALLY does something bad in North Korea, they just shoot one in the head, and send a clean up bill to ones relatives, rather than messing about with courts and imprisonment.

a reply to: TrueBrit

BINGO!!!!



Even though there is probably more to this, I doubt "we" will ever learn of it if there is..

Matthew Todd Miller is alleged to have arrived along at Pyongyang airport, before tearing up his Visa and demanding asylum. The DPRK took him into custody for odd and unruly behaviour.

North Korea said Miller Matthew Todd had a tourist visa for the country but tore it to pieces and shouted that he had come "to the DPRK after choosing it as a shelter."

Officials said it had detained Too for "a gross violation of its legal order."

www.mirror.co.uk...

North Korea hasn't specified exactly why Jeffrey Edward Fowle was detained, but as Fox News suggests, it was for the placement of religious texts:

The official Korean Central News Agency identified him as Jeffrey Edwards Fowle.

North Korea, which has no diplomatic relations with the United States, said it had detained Mr Fowle for “hostile activities” and was questioning him.

Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing diplomatic sources, said the detainee had been part of a tour group and was held in mid-May after he left a Bible at a hotel.

“American citizen Jeffrey Edward Fowle entered the DPRK as a tourist on April 29 and acted in violation of the DPRK law, contrary to the purpose of tourism during his stay,” KCNA reported, referring to the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

www.news.com.au...

My personal opinion regarding these instances are that:

In regards to Matthew - If one was to seek asylum in the DPRK, they should do so by contacting an embassy, rather than entering their state and demanding it.

In regards to Jeffrey - One shouldn't violate a state's law, and should do some heavy reading on the laws of the land, before travelling overseas.

Of course, we don't know if what the DPRK states is true. But if they are, then i have no pity on them for acting recklessly and in violation of the DPRK's law.

To address Semper, i don't think they are 'crying about the consequences'. They could love the torture, for all we know. Nah, seriously though, we can't come to a direct conclusion of their opinions and stories, without actually hearing them speak. So i won't chastise them while having to rely on information from the Northern state.

a reply to: semperfortis

They must have been caught launching projectiles into the ocean.

Obviously NK wish to know there secret as them actually hitting the desired target area. LoL

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Actions have consequence, do something stupid, bad things happen.

a reply to: semperfortis

Well basicly... I bet you all there be charged with something related to the usa spy networks.

Every country on earth knows the cia and fbi, s biggest spy network is done thru the churchs..

They use the bible to talk in code. Or even bible vers to talk openly. Its a very well know game..
But the real problem is all the new people they recruit in this game they dont tell them. Everyone they need to worrie about already know the game. And they send them over seas with out them knowing that as soon, as they get there in a missionary group ect.. there targeted and watched. As if there spys.. well they dont recruit all of the group. But going as part of one or hiding behind your bible is bad news.. there is also alot more to the church thing in this regard but I am being kind to them and keeping it simple.

James Joseph Dresnok




This cat supposedly even tweets from Pyongyang.

twitter.com...

a reply to: FlyersFan

I am very sure they went there for a reasion. And got caught or kinda figured out... there is much to this fake... but real life many are living these days...

Who would travel to North Korea? They deserve what they get there, Dr. No is culling the herd for us. Travelling to North Korea is like playing Russian Roulett with the gun fully loaded.