Two American journalists were sentenced for 12 years in a working camp. USA announced the fight for them.

Both women were arrested on 17th March on the Chinese border with North Korea. Phenian immediately accused them for illegal border passage and espionage. The trial lasted for only 5 days.

Within 10 days both Americans – in the frame of „necessary reclamation” – will be placed in a working camp. (…) The trail took place without witnesses, the family members were not allowed to be present and USA was represented by the Embassy of Sweden.

Laura Ling comes from California. She is 32 and has Chinese roots. (…) She was accompanied by Euena Lee, Korean-American journalist. (…) They have traveled to the Chinese-Korean order with camera-man and producer. They wanted to prepared a reportage about refugees from the North. Besides the warnings that they should not leave the territory of China, the group has set out by frozen Tuman river. (…)

According to commentators such severe sentence is a next proof that Phenian becomes more courageous in the relations with USA. Only one day before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has threatened that Washington might again put North Korea on the list of countries sponsoring the terrorism.

After some experts in place of the release of the journalists Phenian will claim the humanitarian aid from USA. The others predict that Kim Dong Il, who prepares the passage of the power to his son, would like to push the USA as much as possible in order to negotiate bilaterally with America. [R.S.]

Rzeczpospolita, 09/06/09