Convict Porters and the Long Mile
Earlier this week, I interviewed my husband Michael about some of the human rights concerns in Burma / Myanmar. In his answer, he cited the problem of forced portering, in which the Burmese army takes people from villages and forces them to walk with heavy loads on their backs. This form of slavery has particular … Read more
Samizdat: Underground Resistance Made Public
Samizdat means “self-published.” A Russian term, it refers to any underground publication banned during Communist rule in the USSR and Soviet bloc. It includes essays, books, art, poems – whether original or copied, it was all illegal. Yesterday I attended the opening of Samizdat: The Czech Art of Resistance 1968-1989 at the Embassy of the … Read more
On Burma: An Interview with Michael Miller
Recently I discussed some problems plaguing South Sudan and announced my husband will be working with that country as a research associate for PILPG. But there’s a second country he’s assisting, too: Burma! Since he just finished his first year of law school, he has some time on his hands for a few weeks. So … Read more
Something We Can All Agree On
China and the United States produce the largest CO2 emissions in the world. But do you know who comes in 3rd? No, it’s not the E.U., Brazil or Australia. It’s not India or the state of Texas. It’s slavery. Earlier this week I heard from Kevin Bales – author and co-founder of Free the Slaves … Read more
You Can’t Lend a Hand When Your Arms Are Tied
Tell me this won’t make an amazing movie: Chen Guangcheng, one of the best-known and most politically savvy Chinese dissidents, evaded security forces surrounding his home this week and, aided by an underground network of human rights activists, secretly made his way about 300 miles to Beijing, where he is believed to have found refuge … Read more
We Aren’t the Only Ones Who Go to War Over Oil
South Sudan has been in the news lately because of escalating attacks from Sudan on its northern border. The cause? Oil disputes. In fact, as of yesterday the president of South Sudan claimed that Sudan had effectively “declared war” on his country after air bombardments continued for yet another day. Those bombings followed South Sudan’s … Read more
When Numbers Fail
As I reflect on the many things I learned last week at the Hidden Gulag conference, the power of story stands out the most. Shin Dong-hyuk, who spoke briefly of growing up in a North Korean prison camp, captured everyone’s imagination and brought a room full of DC businesspeople to tears. His co-authored autobiography Escape … Read more
Resources on North Korean Gulags
A mantra you’ll often hear is “‘We don’t know much about North Korea.’ That’s actually not really true.” -Nicholas Eberstadt, HRNK The Hidden Gulag, 2nd Ed. – by David Hawk An in-depth report by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea containing survivors’ accounts, detailed maps, satellite images, and more. Available for free download … Read more
Tweets Re: North Korean Gulags
Thank you to everyone who followed along yesterday with my live tweets from the Hidden Gulag conference here in DC. It was a really fascinating event, and as you could probably tell I tried to capture as much as possible on Twitter. Before I post any further thoughts and resources, I wanted to give you … Read more
Hidden Gulag – Live Tweeting
Hey everyone! Don’t forget I’m live tweeting today from Hidden Gulag – a conference at the Peterson Institute in DC on the prison camp system in North Korea. It’s hosted by The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea – a non-governmental research and advocacy group working for the end of oppression in DPRK. … Read more
