Short breakdown of the practical implications of the amended Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act for HR activists, NK people, ROK and third parties. Trying to keep this as objective as possible but it’s been a week of bitter disappointment

1. It bans the use of loudspeakers, distribution of leaflets, usbs and other items with outside information into NK via the ROK-DPRK border (art24) and via the PRC-DPRK border (art 4/sect6) Such distribution can only happen via official authorisation by the ROK government
2. For the NK people this means considerably restricted access to outside information which is essential in a society with no effective freedom of expression or objective source of non-state sanctioned media
3. For NGOs involved in projects aimed at sending outside info into NK this means potential cessation/penalisation of activities. Inability to secure funding due to high risk assessment of activities, forced concealment of activities
4. For big governmental/private sponsors of activities aimed at bringing outside info to NK citizens the amendment is a big impediment to operations. For example US State Deptm has designated these actions as its priority re NK human rights for the past several years
5. For the ROK gvmt this is a step closer to legislation such as the foreign NGOs law in CPR and the “foreign agent” law in Russia, at least in the final impact that this will have on NGOs in ROK.
6. Radio broadcasts remain “legal” but the info transmitted via them is only a fraction of the actual access to outside info of NK citizens.
7. In recent years the majority of them obtain outside info via USBs, SD cards, CDs, DVDs and mobile phones, which is due to the active sending of such items by NGOs
8. Since the introduction of the foreign NGOs law in China projects on NK involving activities in China have had big difficulty securing support as donors can’t justify the financial and operational risks of executing such projects
9. Is this where ROK is heading by exerting full control on the actions of NGOs working towards better access to information for NK people?
10. Constant bundling up of issues pertaining to human rights and disruption of peace on the K Pen is not constructive and only leads to animosity towards HR activists, which is not helping anyone

More from Government

They shouldn't be.

The pattern is:
GOP in power - GOP dictates policy

Dems in power - GOP dictates policy


The Dems shouldn't legislate toward the GOP.

The GOP doesn't represent its constituents.

The GOP can push it's agenda on its own time.

If Dems push an agenda that actually helps people, it'll also actually help the GOP constituency.

The GOP won't. So give them nothing.

The Dems should ignore the GOP just like the GOP ignores the Dems.

Make them pay for every moment of obstruction.

Just a hard press on legislation that is unassailable and shine a light on the GOP.

Constant. Relentless. Unyielding.

Shut them out and shut them down.

The GOP is not a legitimate political party. It is an anti-democratic, fascist criminal syndicate with no interest whatsoever in governance.

Nobody should give them the slightest bit of credit or legitimacy ever again.

Not a fucking ounce.

Nobody should engage them in legitimate debate in Congress.

They should be pariahs and treated as unserious occupants of Congress.

Because these people were totally ok with their colleagues being killed in furtherance of the destruction of the insitution.
If you're curious what Trump's defense will look like, all you have to do is turn on Fox News. My latest at @mmfa

The tl;dr is that for years right-wing media have been excusing Trump's violent rhetoric by going, "Yes, but THE DEMOCRATS..." and then bending themselves into knots to pretend that Dems were calling for violence when they very, very clearly weren't.

And in fact, this predates Trump.

In 2008, Obama was talking about not backing down in the face of an ugly campaign. He said "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."

https://t.co/i5YaQJsKop


That quote was from the movie The Untouchables. And there's no way anybody reading that quote in good faith could conclude that he was talking about actual guns and knives. But it became a big talking point on the

In 2018, Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder was speaking to a group of Georgia Democrats about GOP voter suppression. He riffed on Michelle Obama's "When they go low, we go high" line from the 2016 DNC.

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