Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Vigils for Euna Lee and Laura Ling

Please Help Euna Lee and Laura Ling Get Released From North Korea

(I'm copying a good portion of David's post)

While the case of Roxana Saberi stirred enough attention in the media to extract her release from Iran, the similar case of two journalists detained in North Korea since March has not been given the same level of notoreity. The Current TV journalists and San Francisco residents, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, will stand trial for "hostile acts" against the DPRK on Thursday, and their families are speaking out after months of silence, calling for the United States to work for the girls' release.

"Our families have been quiet because the situation is very sensitive and we've been really trying to allow diplomacy to take its course," Lisa Ling, Laura's sister, said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night. "But you know, you'd have to be hiding under a rock not to see what's going on in the Korean Peninsula.

"I mean tensions are so heated," she continued, "and the girls are essentially in the midst of this nuclear standoff."

Late last month, North Korea conducted nuclear and missile tests, drawing the condemnation of the U.N. Security Council.

"We just felt like it was time for us to talk publicly and try and encourage our two governments to try to communicate, to try and bring our situation to a resolution on humanitarian grounds -- to separate the issues," said Ling, who is a special correspondent with CNN.


David Dayen, who wrote the Calitics piece, knows Euna Lee.
If you can, please find and attend vigils for these women.
There is a petition calling for their release that you can sign.
And this is the link to the Facebook group which has listings of the vigils around the country.
The one in Los Angeles is tonight, Wokcano, 1413 5th Street, Santa Monica, 6:30pm

1 comment:

Demeur said...

I don't know that Kim jong Il will listen to anyone. China had met with him and set up aid some years ago, but he wouldn't take their advice so I think they cut off his aid. Hillary just went to China this past week to try and get the Chinese to try again.