Oh, Hillary .. North Korea is an INTERNATIONAL problem
By Jes Alexander on June 9, 2009
PARIS (Herald de Paris et Cie.) – Oh, Hillary. Yesterday, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, downplayed the North Korean conviction of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee as, “A humanitarian issue.” One can only assume that Hillary’s choice of words is part of a political posturing, because the issue at-hand is actually so much more. Yet, downplaying the severity of this situation in no way deters from its much bigger context.
According to Al-Jazeera, “Individuals not operating under the control of a government signatory to the Conventions such as independent news outlets — regardless of their medium — are not bound by the Geneva Conventions. Journalists are not state actors, are not acting under the control of a combatant military power, and, therefore, are not bound by the laws of war. As non-combatants who are not acting as government agents, journalists are not bound — and, in fact, are protected by — the Geneva Conventions.”
Since the Korean War never actually came to a conclusion, and US, UN, and other international forces have patrolled the North Korean borders for more than five decades, it can be argued that the international decorum of war, and thereby The Geneva Conventions, still apply.
In this light, the detainment and conviction of Laura Ling and Euna Lee constitute crimes of war, for which the North Korean government must be held accountable.
As a member of the international press, I call upon The Hague, the United Nations, and the International Red Cross to take swift action to demand and secure the safe return of two civilian journalists. These are the protections you pledge to us, in order to allow the continued and accurate coverage of information during times of war. The international laws of war specifically name journalists as a specific and protected class. It is the responsibility of the international community to uphold the Geneva Conventions, and secure, by whatever means necessary, the resease and safe passage home of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
Thank you for continuing to express your support for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, and for providing more reasoned arguments for the free world to press for their release. As an American, I am happy and proud to read the support of a French publication, for the release of these Americans, in the name of International Law and freedom of the press. Thank you for your solidarity.