Laura Ling and Euna Lee were reporting on the plight of North Korean women who had fled or were trafficked across the border into northeast China.

They were arrested by North Korean border guards on March 17 and sentenced to 12 years in a labour camp, but were pardoned after former president Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang early this month.

However, their trip had lasting repercussions, according to Tim Peters and another activist.

Peters, a Seoul-based missionary whose Catacombs network assists North Korean refugees in China, said the arrests had triggered "unwanted attention" towards other aid workers in the region.

He told AFP any reporting trip which focused attention on the North's rights record was useful, but questioned the way the assignment was conducted.

Ling and Lee have admitted briefly crossing the Tumen River border into North Korea, according to Ling's sister Lisa.

Peters said the plight of North Korean women trafficked into northeast China, and of the children they bear, had already been well documented and filmed.

"I can't imagine what could possibly be the benefit of such a risky border crossing," he told AFP.

Acknowledging he may not be aware of all the facts, Peters also questioned why the reporting team had not left documents and video footage in a safe place before making the crossing.

He said the arrests had attracted greater Chinese scrutiny of aid networks helping refugees and had heightened the risks of such operations.

"When the risks go up, that has the effect of discouraging people who potentially would get involved."

China has an agreement with North Korea to deport refugees, a practice criticised by rights groups who say they can face harsh punishment on their return to North Korea.

Before their arrest the journalists from California-based Current TV had filmed footage including scenes at orphanages in northeast China.

When they were seized their cameraman Mitch Koss escaped back into China but was detained by security officials there before being deported.

Another activist who acted as a guide to the reporters told AFP he believed the confiscation of Koss's film and of other material led Chinese authorities to him.

South Korean pastor Lee Chan-Woo, 71, said police on March 19 raided his home in China, confiscating computer files and documents before arresting him.

Lee said the documents contained information on other South Koreans who had sheltered refugees and had assisted North Korean children whose mothers had been deported to the North.

"While being grilled, I learned the video footage (of the US TV crew) had been confiscated," Lee said.

The confiscation of TV footage and still photos must have given Chinese authorities a clue about his identity, he said.

The pastor, who works for South Korea's Durihana mission, said Chinese police traced and shut down five secret homes for 25 North Korean children and launched a hunt for other South Korean activists.

He said new homes were found for the children but he himself was fined and deported.

Paul Song, Laura Ling's brother-in-law, told the Wall Street Journal he could not comment on what information may have been seized from the reporting team.

He said Ling and Lee would be running an editorial this week on the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention. "I would urge people to withhold any judgments until they hear all the facts."

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News