Anju Links for 15 April 2008

A HUMANITARIAN SPIRIT that would have seemed unimaginable in Japan half a century ago is taking root:

No Fence in North Korea, a Tokyo- based association, started campaigning to release political prisoners from camps in North Korea, where as many as 250,000 people are subjected to torture and summary execution. The group, headed by Shojun Sunagawa, a former Japanese diplomat, held its first meeting in Tokyo yesterday and plans to raise awareness of the camps in North Korea and rescue prisoners. [Bloomberg, Hideko Takayama]

No doubt, much of this consciousness is fueled by North Korea’s abductions of Japanese citizens, its threats against Japan, its obstinacy in ceasing either of these continuing offenses, and America’s new determination to reward them.

ANOTHER CONTINUING OFFENSE:

Glyn Ford, the parliament member for Southwest England for the Labour Party, said he met with Takahiro Konishi and Moriaki Wakabayashi, two of the four former members of the Red Army Faction, at a Pyongyang hotel during his five-day visit late last month. According to Ford, the hijackers repeated they are ready to return to Japan to face trial, but only on condition that possible arrest warrants against them in connection with the kidnappings of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s are dropped. [Japan Times]

After Ford failed to meet the hijackers’ demands, they beheaded him and sent the videotape to the British Embassy. The U.S. State Department promptly de-listed the group as a terrorist organization and invited them to Washington for bilateral talks. No, I made that last part up, but I had you going for a minute there.

SUMMERS IN RANGOON, LUGE LESSONS: More than you ever really cared to know about Chris Hill’s childhood.

GOOGLE EARTHERS, TAKE NOTE:

Using Google Earth images of North Korean missile facilities, for comparison, it’s pretty obvious that the Iranian missile center was built with North Korean help. Iran gets a lot of its missile technology from North Korea. Iran is currently developing a multi-stage, solid fuel ballistic missile with a range of 4-6,000 kilometers. This would enable Iran to threaten all of Europe. [Strategy Page]

Anyone out there have the coordinates?

THE NEW COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY of South Korea, as depicted in an excellent Joongang Ilbo graphic.

ARE CHICOM PROVOCATEURS BEHIND some of the violence at Olympic Torch protests?  If you can’t stop them, try to discredit them.

McCAIN: BUSH SHOULD NOT ATTEND the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics. I believe that makes all three presidential candidates.