Wanted: Korea Bar Association Report on North Korean Concentration Camps (Update: Thank you)
Blaine Harden’s Washington Post article on Monday cited a report by the Korean Bar Association that contains an extensive collection of interviews of North Korean concentration camp survivors and witnesses. If I had a copy of that report, I would undertake a detailed examination of those witness’s statements for consistency with each other, with previous reports, and with satellite imagery of the camps. If possible, I would use that report to greatly expand my Google Earth posts about the camps. If the interviews are as detailed an extensive as I’ve been told they are, I could use them to publish something that expands the boundaries of our understanding of the camps beyond anything that currently exists anywhere.
My internet search skills have failed to locate a copy of the report, as have my usual contacts. I would accept a Korean language version if I can’t get an English version, but obviously, I would prefer an English version. If anyone can get me a copy of that report — especially in English — either on the internet or elsewhere, I would be very, very much in that person’s debt.
Update: Thank you. A reader has graciously offered to send me a copy.
I was wondering about that, too. I started looking for it yesterday, but didn’t get very far, either. It just occurred to me that if anyone has it, Citizens Alliance probably has it or can easily get it. They sponsored a conference with the KBA on June 29; I was traveling that day or would have gone — I think they officially announced the white paper there, though I could be confusing that release with something else. I’ll look into it tomorrow if you haven’t found it by then (this would be a good excuse to finally go meet the folks at Citizens Alliance, which is actually quite close to me).
I called the Washington Post directly, and they gave me his email addy. I just sent one to the author and hope to get an answer back. My next task is to call the Korean Bar Association and see if they have a copy somewhere. I will update you…
Oh, I forgot, you can E-Mail him too:
hardenb@washpost.com
Maybe you can have better luck than I.
Yes, I have Blaine’s contact info, and when he interviewed me for the story, he was kind enough to say he’d try to get me a copy, but that was a few weeks ago, and I’m not sure he’ll be able. Plus, if the thing is available online, I could save him the trouble. Thanks,
I am asking some friends who have excellent sleuthing skills to help me find it, because I want a copy too. Usually, this is not a problem for me, but this is one problematic find. Lastly, I should have known you would contact the author directly too, heh.
Anyway, this is most excellent, Joshua, and look forward to any updates you might have. After all, if you will not report on it, few will. The media is too enamored with other stuff than the hundreds of thousands, if not millions suffering under the brutal hands of Kim Jong Il.
No luck at Citizens Alliance — actually, most staff were out participating in a campaign to free the SK guy in Kaesong, and the right person to talk to was out today as it was, but I called the KBA and they’re going to mail me the English version. If my Korean isn’t failing me, it apparently weighs 2kgs! The bad news is they said they don’t have a PDF version, only a print version. I’m not sure what they’ll do if you ask them to ship a copy to the US, but they might just do it; they didn’t ask me to cover postage or anything, they just said they’d send a copy over — they even asked how many I wanted. When you call the number (locally, 02-3476-4000, internationally I think it would be 82-2-3476-4000?), press 3 to go to the human rights dept. We didn’t speak in English, but more than likely English would be fine when you call them.
Hi Joshua,
I’ve asked a well situated friend in the ROK to send to me the NK white paper… he emailed back that he would send to me but I realized I don’t have any contact info for you. What is your number/address?
Grace, I think I’ve already got a copy on the way, thank you!
Hi Joshua,
I have been looking for the NK report by KBA for quite a long time. Could you, please, send me a copy?
I would be very thankful.
Have a nice day!
terez
I finally got a copy, but it’s the only one I have!
Hi Joshua,
could you possibly send me a contact to the Association so that I could ask for a copy as well?
Thanks a lot!
Tereza,
If you haven’t gotten yourself a copy yet, scroll up and read the comment left at July 24, 2009 @ 12:59 am about how to contact them. They do have a website, but I didn’t find it too helpful.