While I have been on the subject of Romania, news of a dissident named Monica Lovinescu who risked her life and was almost killed during Nicolae’s rule died April 21, 2008 at the age of 85 (International Herald Tribune). The entire article is a very good read, so make sure to read the whole thing.
A commentary of Monica Lovinescu on Radio Free Europe.
I never heard of her until a few days ago, but her story is very gripping and how the voices of freedom are directly threatened by a repressive regime. She was not alone. According to the video posted a few moments ago, that tells tales of North Korean defectors and human rights advocates risking life getting information to North Koreans. It is almost a certainty other dissidents from other countries had the same fears or even died from speaking out inside and outside. Monica Lovinescu, despite the attempt on her life and being in a come got back on her feet and continued to pierce the iron curtain inside Nicolae Ceausescu’s state. According to International Herald Tribune:
Romanian philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu has said he was told by a senior intelligence officer that her broadcasts angered Ceausescu so much that in 1977 he told Romania’s secret service: “Let’s shut her up! Let’s break her into pieces! Let’s break her teeth, jaw and break her hands so she can never write or speak again.”
Later that year, Lovinescu was severely beaten in front of her home in Paris, leaving her in a coma with head injuries. Ion Pacepa, who served as deputy head of foreign intelligence under Ceausescu before defecting in 1978, has said the beating was carried out by two men acting on Ceausescu’s orders. Lovinescu later recovered and returned to broadcasting for Radio Free Europe.
Ceausescu was overthrown and executed in 1989, and Lovinescu continued her work with Radio Free Europe until 1992.
Emphasis mine. What does this have to do with North Korea? Much like old communist Romania, it was those who risked life for the sake of freedom for others who changed everything. Much like CNN’s documentary, they discuss those sending information in, and those sending information out. With the war of the words, telling people inside things can get better if they work together for a common good can bring even the most hard-line of dictators down. People like Monica Lovinescu were instrumental in that fight even if it takes a really long time for results to appear. Eventually, people got the courage to stand up and make real change. This led to the only violent end to a leader during the breakup of the communist rule in Eastern Europe.
Communist Romania’s end gives me great hope that it does not necessarily need outside intervention to finally bring an end to Kim Jong Il’s crumbling state. It is my belief with enough poverty, repression, starvation and abuse people will not take it anymore. When the army finally turned the guns on the dictator, it was all over. While nobody knows when and how North Korea will end, the end is inevitable. As I said before, the cracks are showing, and it is only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down.
As said before, I think a lot can be learned from the former regimes that are now long gone, and not just Romania. If we look to other uprisings and change (no, not Barack Obama style, thank you) maybe it can inspire those inside toiling under the iron grip of a repressive ruler with the help of strong voices that truly care for them. North Korea may be the biggest challenge yet, but with enough work, determination, love and perseverance, people can look forward to a better life away from Juche.
What will it take? People disagree on the methodology employed to make change whether it is forceful change, engagement, pressure, sanctions or whatever, one thing is certain. Normal people help bring that change. Even after the North Korean state is gone, it will take a long time and a lot of work to eventually bring reunification. We may well be in the beginnings of that, and perhaps the truth will come to light.
I have been reading about Hwang Jang Yop’s defection to the ROK in 1997, and his warnings and commentary about his time in the KWP and what should be done about it seems to be largely ignored by a lot of folks. For what reasons and what end is something I am not too sure of yet, but I have been looking to other high level defections from other former communist nations. One I knew nothing about and seems pretty well-known is a man named Ion Mihai Pacepa. This defection made news and apparently was used by the United States for information regarding the Soviet bloc. This led to a multi-million dollar price tag on his head. His story is very interesting, and am reading more about this man. Also, there is a lot more information about Ion Mihai Pacepa than Yuri Bezmenov other than the 1985 interview posted earlier this week. Therefore, I have a lot of reading to do.
The DailyNK does not allow me to repost pictures (I could ask), but looking around Google Earth today, I ran into something not many ordinary North Koreans (or many other people for that matter) cannot do: Gamble. I tried looking for as much information as possible on this oddity, and sure enough, this hotel and casino is in the more scenic area amid a lot of (or what seems to be) an industrial/port area. Not a lot of information is available on the Emperor Hotel and Casino in North Korea, but found some interesting tidbits here and there.
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