Regime again jams foreign-based radio stations http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22259 Reporters Without Borders today deplored the North Korean government's resumption on 11 May of its jamming of independent and dissident radio stations broadcasting in Korean from outside and called on the South Korean government and the international community to defend their right to broadcast freely.
"North and South Korea are celebrating the historic reopening of a railway line between the two countries, yet the Pyongyang regime is trying to stop North Koreans from getting news other than that served up by the regime," the worldwide press freedom organisation said. "This is a violation of international law." The programmes of radio stations Free North Korea Radio, Voice of America, Open Radio for North Korea, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Chosun (all based in South Korea or the United States) are those targeted, according to the Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute and the International Shortwave Club. North Korea's ruling Labour Party, the only party allowed, last month denounced news from the outside world that allegedly aimed to destabilise the regime and ordered the security forces to stop all video cassettes, written material, mobile phones and CDs from entering the country. The jamming may have been part of these measures or, an Open Radio official told Reporters Without Borders, may have been linked to the reopening of the railway. Jamming of these short-wave stations had substantially declined since last July. North Korea's serious energy crisis apparently prevents the regime jamming all frequencies round the clock. North Korea is ranked bottom in the Reporters Without Borders worldwide Press Freedom Index. --also - N Korea resumes jamming overseas radio (AFP) 24 May 2007 SEOUL - Communist North Korea has resumed its jamming of Korean- language broadcasts by independent and dissident radio stations, an international media watchdog has said. The jamming of the short-wave stations had substantially declined since last July, apparently due to a serious energy shortage, but resumed on May 11, Reporters Without Borders said in a statement. The Paris-based watchdog urged the South Korean government and the international community to defend the right to broadcast freely. North and South Korea are celebrating the historic reopening of a railway line between the two countries, yet the Pyongyang regime is trying to stop North Koreans from getting news other than that served up by the regime, it said. This is a violation of international law. Free North Korea Radio, Voice of America, Open Radio for North Korea, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Chosun are being targeted, it quoted the Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute and the International Shortwave Club as saying. All the stations are based in South Korea or the United States. Reporters Without Borders said the ruling party last month denounced foreign news allegedly aimed at destabilising the regime, and ordered a crackdown on video cassettes, written material, mobile phones and CDs from overseas. The jamming may have been linked to the crackdown or to the reopening of cross-border railways, an Open Radio official told the watchdog. Last week, trains from North and South Korea crossed the heavily fortified border for the first time in half a century, in test runs of the lines. North Korea has refused so far to authorise a regular service. Intelligence sources said in February that North Korea was cracking down on a flood of South Korean pop culture. Analysts say smuggled DVDs and mobile phones with prepaid cards are weakening the hardline regimes previous iron grip over information. http://zlgr.multiply.com (raidio monitoring site plus audio clips ) http://www.worldisround.com/articles/302315/ (Litohoro) 321199/Tinos http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachgr pictures upload . on my main : www.geocities.com/zliangas -tty-px.html : test of various TTY programs -ethics.htm : greek ethics , days and institutions -frape.htm: the greek way of cofee !!! Zacharias Liangas , Thessaloniki Greece greekdx @ otenet dot gr --- Pesawat penerima: ICOM R75 , Lowe HF150 , Degen 1102,1103,108, Tecsun PL200/550, Chibo c300/c979, Yupi 7000 Antenna: 16m hor, 2x16 m V invert, 1m australian loop ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- Preorder your WRTH 2007: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/redirect2.php?id=wrth2007 ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html
