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City of Pyongyang Orders Many Residents to Leave
“Let’s Crush Anti-Republic Activities by the Enemies”
“Let’s Welcome Year 2012 with a Dedication of Pure Blood and Sweat”
Libelous Bulletins Regarding Food Crisis Investigated in Pankyo County, Kangwon Province
Public Trial for Seventeen People including Teenagers in City of Chungjin Province
City of Pyongyang Orders Many Residents to Leave
On July 5, the Department of Resident Registration of the Pyongyang Police issued orders regarding the ‘movement of residents.’ The directives, given to the departments of Resident Registration of the district police, first target those older residents formerly living the countryside. These people now depend on their children living in Pyongyang, but their address status is unclear. The orders state that anyone living in Pyongyang with an unclear address status shall be moved out unconditionally. The next group of residents subject to the orders is those with an unclear address status who are living in the districts near Pyongyang. The dates for the removal of the first group are from July 5 through August 5, the dates for the second group are from August 5 through September 5. In the meantime, The Ministry of People’s Police explained that these compulsory movements are being carried out in conjunction with September 9, the sixtieth anniversary of the republic and October 10, the sixtieth anniversary of the party foundation.
“Let’s Crush Anti-Republic Activities by the Enemies”
North Hamgyong Province has been delivering increasingly more political lectures, titled “Let’s Crush the Anti-Republic Activities by the Enemies Thoroughly.” The major contents of the lectures, which are spread among the province’s residents, are “We have to prevent espionage activities and the stealing of the secrets of the party and the state by outsiders. We have to fight, with a hundred-fold-enhanced awareness, those anti-party and anti-socialist agents who collect libelous and damaging materials. We should not tolerate those who create impure recordings, improper books and spread anti-socialist ideology.”
“Let’s Welcome Year 2012 with a Dedication of Pure Blood and Sweat”
Recently, there have been political lectures with the theme, “Let’s not wait for the year 2012 sitting down, but welcome it with a dedication of pure blood and sweat.” These lectures ask people that they should play an active role in the agricultural activities considered the most important by the party and should apply themselves in learning about modern technology. People should treat the factories and the farms as their own. In conjunction with these, there is talk about preventing students from staying at home and working as peddlers, a common practice. The lectures claim that people should respond to the pleas of the party and say, “a powerful nation does not come free, but it should be built with blood and sweat.”
Libelous Bulletins Regarding Food Crisis Investigated in Pankyo County, Kangwon Province
Pankyo authorities are strained by a spate of libelous bulletins throughout the county. The bulletins describe the food crisis in Pankyo County, Kangwon Province. So far, more than sixty bulletins have been placed at highly visible locations, they have soon been removed. Police officers and security agents forcibly dispersed curious people gathered around the bulletins, and immediately close off the locations where they are posted. After an emergency meeting, county prosecutors, security agents, and police officers blocked any access by the public and began investigations. The residents complain about interrogations by the police whenever they have talked in small gatherings. Any party officials with personal computers are under investigation. Thus far, no particular clues have been found and residents are concerned that the period of investigations may be extended.
Public Trial for Seventeen People including Teenagers in City of Chungjin
On June 3, a public trial for seventeen people was held in front of Pohang stadium, City of Chungjin. City authorities forced Women’s Unionists and students to witness the public trial. Among those tried were many teenagers, eleven were between fifteen and nineteen in age. Most of these teens were charged with robbing, stealing bicycles, or attacking passengers to take sacks of rice. The teens were sentenced to remain at the Labor Training Center and the six adults were sent to prison.
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