Local Happenings - Seoul Train

This evening I attended a screening of the film Seoul Train at BSU. The movie documented the plight of North Koreans fleeing to China for political asylum. China views the asylum-seekers as illegal immigrants moving between borders for economic reasons. That couldn't be further from the truth. The Chinese government refuses to grant asylum to North Koreans and forcibly repatriates them. They are not even permitted to escape to nations such as Mongolia, Japan, or South Korea, which would most likely grant them asylum. When these people are forcibly repatriated they face, at the very least, arbitrary detention. Many are presumably tortured and some are even executed (it is hard to be sure of all of the repatriated individuals' fates, due to the secrecy of the Kim Jong-il regime). The movie utilized footage from activists that have constructed an underground railroad of sorts, bringing North Koreans through China to eventual freedom in Mongolia or South Korea. It was a very emotionally effective film, crammed with both stunning stories of the journey these North Koreans face and in-depth insight and analysis of the issue. Check it out at www.seoultrain.com.

Upcoming Events:

• Thursday, November 17th, Amnesty International will meet in the Foote Room of the Student Union Building at 5:00 pm.
• Saturday and Sunday, November 19th and 20th, the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance will be in the parking lot of the Albertsons on State and 17th street collecting non-perishable food items, clothes, blankets, hygiene items, and water for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The collected goods will be trucked down to Baton Rouge later this month.