http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/defection/ en-us Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:48:18 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2352347/posts (LEAD) 11 N. Koreans defect to S. Korea through East Sea SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap)-- Eleven North Korean defected to South Korea through waters off the South's east coast on Thursday, a government source said. The source said the 11 North Koreans -- five men and six women -- expressed their willingness to seek asylum in the South after crossing the sea border in a ship around 6:30 p.m. and arriving in the South Korean port city of Jumunjin on the east coast. The Ministry of Defense is expected to announce details on their defection soon, according to the source. Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2352347/posts#comment Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:48:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265151/posts /begin my summary N. Korea's Kim Jong-nam May Defect to China [Japanese Newspaper] (Tokyo = Yonhap News) Choi Irak = Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il's eldest son, is currently staying in Macau, and could defect to China, Sankei Shimbun in Japan reported on June 5, quoting intelligence sources. According to the paper, the purge of Kim Jong-nam's associates has started as a part of rapidly laying the foundation for Kim Jong-un as the successor. N. Korea's State Security Department detained several associates of Kim Jong-nam around 8pm on Apr. 3 in Pyongyang. Upon hearing the news, Kim Jong-nam investigated on the... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265151/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 02:35:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2244569/posts FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky's embattled junior senator is blaming GOP leader Mitch McConnell for losing Arlen Specter to the Democrats and costing the party Senate seats. Sen. Jim Bunning has been at odds lately with McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator. McConnell hasn't publicly asked Bunning to retire but hasn't endorsed him for re-election next year. Bunning says he's still in the race but Republican leaders have been sending not-so-subtle messages that he should retire rather than face a strong Democratic challenge. AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2244569/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 16:11:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2240201/posts As can be expected, John ‘F’in Kerry (who I’ve heard served in Viet Nam) is still trying to appear presidential and act as if the world revolves around his treasonous butt. It took but a few short hours for the Senator to issue a welcome statement to former RINO, Arlen Specter as he returned home to the Democrat Party, where he has belonged for some time now. Kerry’s statement said, “This is a big moment. When Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party, he was the canary in the coal mine warning of Bush era ideological excess, and Senator Specter’s decision... Right In A Left World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2240201/posts#comment Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:14:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2220479/posts Family of N. Korean trade representative in Shanghai defects to South SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- The wife and children of a North Korean trade representative in Shanghai have recently defected to South Korea and are being questioned by Seoul intelligence officials, a local report said Thursday. The Kyunghyang Shinmun cited an unidentified official of the ruling Grand National Party who said the wife, identified only by her family name Ri, defected with her son and daughter through a South Korean embassy in Singapore and arrived in Seoul about a month ago. A spokesman for South Korea's National Intelligence Service... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2220479/posts#comment Thu, 2 Apr 2009 05:23:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036516/posts /begin my translation N. Koreans Going South by Boat: 6 times in this Month alone Only one out of ten wanting to return..."N. Korea beefing up shore surveillance" (Seoul=Yonhap News) Kim Kwi-geun = N. Koreans came down to the South by boat, 6 times in June alone, it has been disclosed. A government source said on June 26, "N. Korean people came into our territorial water 6 times in this month alone, both in West Sea(Yellow Sea) and East Sea(Sea of Japan.) This is highly unusual, and we are closely monitoring N. Korean reactions." He said, "In four of those... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036516/posts#comment Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:00:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906749/posts Myanmar military officer defects to Thailand Agence France-Presse BANGKOK (AFP) - A Myanmar military officer has fled to Thailand to seek asylum, apparently because he refused orders to attack Buddhist monks in anti-junta protests, a senior Thai intelligence official said Wednesday. Major Hla Win entered Thailand with help from a non-government organization, and he hopes to apply for asylum in Norway, the official told AFP. "He is not a senior general, but is mid-ranking," the official said. Hla Win's defection is the first known case of a military official fleeing the country since the junta last week ordered a crackdown... AFP (via ABS-CBN News) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906749/posts#comment Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:36:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801414/posts NASHVILLE -- The Republican majority in the Tennessee Senate was short-lived: Sen. Mike Williams of Maynardville declared an independent today and no longer a member of the Republican Caucus. Williams blamed dissatisfaction over the arrival of what he called "Washington-style partisanship and gridlock" -- which he said he wants no part of -- for the switch. His move left the makeup of the state Senate at 16 Republicans, 16 Democrats and one independent. That won't have an immediate impact on the organization of the Senate -- Republican Ron Ramsey was elected to a two-year term as the Senate speaker in... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801414/posts#comment Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:21:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1795851/posts Excerpt - (Kyodo) _ North Korea's ruling party has ordered children of North Korean diplomats and other representatives stationed overseas to return home, for reasons unknown, a South Korean daily reported Tuesday. "The Workers' Party of Korea recently issued a directive to overseas missions that children of diplomats and representatives send their children home," the Joongang Ilbo newspaper quoted a source well-versed in North Korean affairs as saying in Seoul. The reason remains unclear, but another Seoul-based expert on North Korea was quoted as saying it may be related to preventing defection of diplomats. ~ snip ~ Kyodo News (Japan) (excerpt) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1795851/posts#comment Tue, 6 Mar 2007 03:29:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752252/posts For many years, those who consider themselves to be libertarians have been fairly reliable members of the Republican coalition. Although no libertarian would consider himself or herself to be entirely in agreement with either major party, they have historically sided with the GOP. But the relationship today seems more deeply strained than any time in the last 30 years, and a divorce may be forthcoming. Basically, libertarians are allied with the right on economic issues and the left on everything else. They believe in the free market and freedom of choice in areas such as drugs, and favor a noninterventionist... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752252/posts#comment Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:37:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1446059/posts /begin my translationTaiwan Defense Ministry, "We don't want N. Korean missiles"(Taipei, Yonhap News) correspondent Pil Soo-yon -- Taiwan's Defense Ministry, in response to an allegation that N. Korea attempted to sell its missiles to Taiwan, commented, "It is absurd to say that we would buy from N. Korea, already designated as a dangerous country, what we can already produce. We don't want N. Korean missiles." According to July 19th reports from Taiwanese media, all pertinent government institutions, Taiwan's Defense Ministry, State Security Bureau, and Foreign Ministry , responded, "We know nothing (on the matter,)" when asked about the latest report from Wolgan Chosun (note: from its August issue.... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1446059/posts#comment Tue, 19 Jul 2005 16:59:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430939/posts /begin my summary3 N. Koreans, presumed to be a family, defected at Baek-ryong island[Yonhap News, 2005/06/26] Around 9:55 am on June 26, 2.9 miles away to the North East of Baek-ryong Island, a N. Korean barge indicated the willingness to defect. It was towed to Yong-ki-po Harbor at Baek-ryong Island at 11:40 am, according to the (S. Korean) Joint Chief of Staffs. Inside the boat were Mr. Hong(male, age:42), Mr. Moon(female, age:39), a 15-year-old boy. They are presumed to be a family. They reportedly left Yong-hyun, Ku-mi-po District, N. Korea.around 5:30 am, June 25. The barge is an 1.7-ton boat... Yonhap News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430939/posts#comment Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:56:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425113/posts Three North Koreans Flee to South Three apparent defectors from North Korea were found on Friday morning, two in the West Sea and one in Gangwon Province, a day after a show of inter-Korean unity marking the fifth anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration came to an end in Pyongyang. Police and military officials are investigating how the three crossed the DMZ and whether they intended to defect. Soldiers on Friday patrol the village of Daema in Choelwon County, Gangwon Province where a North Korean defector was discovered earlier that day. Early on Friday morning, a 65-year-old Cheolwon... Chosun Ilbo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425113/posts#comment Fri, 17 Jun 2005 17:57:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1423863/posts Chinese defector says U.S. turned him away By Raymond Bonner The New York Times TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2005 SYDNEY The Chinese diplomat who defected here two weeks ago had sought political asylum at the United States Embassy, and was summarily turned away, the defector, Chen Yonglin, said in an interview on Monday. Chen, a career diplomat whose father was killed during the Cultural Revolution, said he called the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, the Australian capital, and followed up with a fax, after his asylum claim had been abruptly rebuffed by Australian officials, an action that has created a political storm... iht.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1423863/posts#comment Thu, 16 Jun 2005 06:07:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1420924/posts Third Chinese defector turns up in Australia Thu Jun 9, 7:33 PM ET SYDNEY (AFP) - A third Chinese official has defected in Australia and already been granted refugee status after revealing he witnessed a dissident being tortured to death in China, his lawyer said. The unnamed official was a senior officer in a branch of the Chinese security service known as "610" and defected after witnessing repeated human rights abuses by other agents, lawyer Bernard Collaery said on ABC television late Thursday. Collaery, a prominent lawyer and former attorney-general of the Australian Capital Territory, said the official's assertions backed... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1420924/posts#comment Sat, 11 Jun 2005 16:20:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1416257/posts A SENIOR Chinese diplomat is on the run with his family after abandoning his post and seeking political asylum in Australia. Claiming he fears persecution if he returns to Beijing, Chen Yonglin, 37, the consul for political affairs at the Chinese consulate-general in Sydney, said last night consulate security staff were looking for him after he walked out of the mission seven days ago. "They are searching for me. I heard they are looking for me everywhere, especially in the Chinese community," Mr Chen told The Weekend Australian last night. "I feel very unsafe, so I seek protection." A Department... The Australian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1416257/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jun 2005 04:49:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1303690/posts Footage of Japanese TV from Beijing showing 7 North Koreans escaping LAST NIGHT over tall BARBED WIRE FENCES (some barefoot on the wire and all apparantly without gloves) to get into neutral territory in Beijing, in a Japanese children's school, to safety and the West. Shades of the East Germans getting out of Berlin through the wire or over The Wall. Video Stream Link above and here (brief, in Japanese):http://www.bcast.co.jp/cgi-bin/yahoo/news.asx?cid=20041217-00000051-nnn-int-movie-000&media=wm300kChinese Communists put up extra security afterward and are trying to prevent more escapes by North Koreans, currently underground in China, to Freedom.MUST SEE VIDEO. NNN TV, Japan (Streaming Video) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1303690/posts#comment Fri, 17 Dec 2004 20:17:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1285767/posts Japanese Official Warns of Fissures in North Korea(130 generals defected?) Japanese Official Warns of Fissures in North Korea By JAMES BROOKE Published: November 22, 2004 OKYO, Nov. 21 - After weeks of reports from North Korea of defecting generals, antigovernment posters and the disappearance of portraits of the country's ruler, the leader of Japan's governing party warned Sunday of the prospects of "regime change" in North Korea. "As long as Chairman Kim Jong Il controls the government, we have to negotiate with him, but it is becoming more doubtful whether we will be able to achieve anything with this government,"... NYT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1285767/posts#comment Mon, 22 Nov 2004 12:36:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1280676/posts LAS VEGAS - In what appears to be the largest mass defection of Cuban performers to date, 44 dancers, singers and musicians, here to stage a revue, plan to seek political asylum in the United States, members of the troupe said Sunday. Most of the artists intend to deliver their applications for asylum this morning at the federal building here, the performers said in interviews at the Stardust Resort and Casino, where their ''Havana Night Club'' revue is to have a three-month run. Seven other members of the ensemble have already sought asylum from United States officials in Berlin. Those... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1280676/posts#comment Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:47:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1280177/posts LAS VEGAS, NEVADAIn what appears to be the largest mass defection of Cuban peerformers to date, 44 dancers, singers, and musicians, here to stage a revue, plan to seek political asylum in the United States, troupe members said on Sunday. The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1280177/posts#comment Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:46:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1269690/posts Bad news for despairing Democrats: Canada must wait. The Great White North, which allows Al-Jazeera but still bans Fox News, isn't as welcoming to Americans as you might have thought. After the drubbing Democrats took in yesterday's elections, many are probably feeling like Vietnam draft-dodgers of the 1960s — that Canada would be a better place to live. Well, for many Democrats that's probably true. If Canada is anything, it is a haven for left-wing, socialist-minded individuals who share a disdain for the freedom-minded, war-on-terror-fighting, tax-cutting Bush administration. But liberal Dems who are planning to "escape" the "tyranny" of President... NewsMax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1269690/posts#comment Thu, 4 Nov 2004 02:07:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1177597/posts The conversion of Albany County Comptroller Michael Conners, whose family's Democratic roots in North Albany stretch back a century, into a Republican started Monday with a telephone call from a former aide to Rep. John Sweeney. In less than a week, it was done, with Conners sealing the deal Thursday to take the GOP endorsement against incumbent Democratic state Sen. Neil Breslin over a cellphone while watching a Red Sox game in Fenway Park. Gleeful Republicans welcomed Conners into the fold Friday, while stunned Democrats warned he is taking a gamble he cannot win in a county where Democrats outnumber... Times Union http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1177597/posts#comment Sat, 24 Jul 2004 09:49:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1168716/posts Mystery Marine in Germany for DebriefingBy David ThibaultCNSNews.com Managing EditorJuly 09, 2004 (CNSNews.com) - Did Islamic terrorists kidnap Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, or was the videotape showing Hassoun blindfolded and a sword hanging over his head a hoax staged by a 24-year-old wanting out of the military? Following Hassoun's arrival Friday at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, American officials will debrief him and try to find out the truth. Hassoun came in on a C-17 transport plane from Beirut, Lebanon and was immediately taken in a green ambulance to the medical center. Hassoun was reported missing June... CNS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1168716/posts#comment Sat, 10 Jul 2004 09:33:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1165238/posts N. Korean Missile Engineer in South Applies for Asylum in U.S. It was learned Saturday that a couple that came to South Korea as defectors from North Korea has applied for exile in the United States. A diplomatic source in Washington said 58-year-old Lee Bok-gu and his wife Lee Sun-hui (not their real names), who fled North Korea in 1997 and came to the South in 1999, have applied with U.S. authorities for exile. There have been cases in which defectors who have escaped from the North have applied for asylum in the U.S. through a third country, but this... Chosun Ilbo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1165238/posts#comment Sun, 4 Jul 2004 15:20:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1139060/posts /begin my translation A Former S. Korean Intelligence Agent Filed for Political Asylum in U.S. (Who Exposed Scandals of Kim Dae-Jung Government) May 19, 2004 By Joo Yong-joong Kim Ki-sam(age:39), the former agent of NIS(S. Korean intelligence agency) who exposed (political) scandals of Kim Dae-jung government via Internet, and his family reportedly filed for a political asylum on 18th (of May, 2004) at the New Jersey Asylum Office of Dept. of Homeland Security. Such a request for the political asylum by a former intelligence agent is quire rare, which is expected to create a diplomatic row between S. Korea and... Chosun Ilbo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1139060/posts#comment Thu, 20 May 2004 12:24:37 GMT