As a closed country, no information gets into North Korea (DPRK) easily but at the same time very little gets out. The UN’s recently released human rights report compiled from interviews with hundreds of North Korean escapees is a rare and deep insight into the country.
The following is a selection of excerpts from the report showing not only the fear and danger in North Korea, but also the total and overwhelming control that the ruling dynasty has over the down trodden masses.
I’ve picked the bits that I thought were most telling of the general mood in the country. The report goes into much more detail of course but these snap shots are as dark as they are fascinating. This first episode covers education, indoctrination and art.
Children & Education
There are two basic themes central to the North Korean indoctrination programme. One is to instill utmost loyalty and commitment towards the Supreme Leader. The other is to instill hostility and deep hatred towards Japan, the United States of America, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). The latter objective is pursued with such thorough vigor that it clearly amounts to advocacy of national hatred, racism, hostility and violence, and to propaganda for war should the need arise.
Children and university students in the DPRK are regularly required to participate in parades, mass rallies and other choreographed performances which serve a political purpose. The largest of these performances is the annual mass gymnastics, today generally referred to as the Mass Games.
These games sound like a right laugh, but they really aren’t…
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