Say no to Ling and Lee
I better write up my review for a Long Road Home, before these two publish theirs
Laura Ling, one of the women journalists captured by the North Koreans in March and then freed earlier this month following a visit by former President Bill Clinton, is shopping a book proposal–with her sister.
According to a publisher who has seen the proposal and asked to remain anonymous, Ms. Ling, together with her sister, Lisa Ling, a special correspondent for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” is offering a book that will examine the meaning of sisterhood and journalistic ideals. The issue of Laura Ling’s captivity will be discussed, but in a larger context.
Some commentators wanted to blame Ling and Lee for endangering North Korea refugees. I defended them saying that helping refugees by nature carries a heightened risk and that the real culprits are the Chinese and North Korean government.
But it’s over. Ling and Lee are free. There are tens of thousands more refugees hidden in China. The cause I’ve been blogging for over threes is not about two journalists at the wrong place.
This is the last I will mention these two. I hope everyone else will follow suit.
There’s also no direct evidence (yet) that the specific people in the Ling-Lee materials have suffered additional harm. Until that is proven, it is a theoretical argument.
Comment by Richard, on August 13th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Perhaps not. But unless they discovered something game-changing at the North Korea-China border, then their story is over.
Comment by S.K., on August 14th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
It pretty much worked out exactly as I thought it would back in March. North Korea held them a bit longer than I had thought though.
Staying at a nice guest house is hardly hardship though.
They sure make Americans seem rather foolish for jumping around at the border of rather paranoid nation. International border, what’s that?
Comment by Cordelia, on September 1st, 2009 at 1:47 am