http://www.comcast.net/news/international/asia/index.jsp?cat=ASIA <http://www.comcast.net/news/international/asia/index.jsp?cat=ASIA&fn=/2007/ 05/24/671512.html> &fn=/2007/05/24/671512.html
North Korea Resumes Jamming Broadcasts Communist North Korea has resumed jamming short wave radio broadcasts from outside the country after a break of several months, an international media watchdog group said. The reclusive country has been trying to block such broadcasts _ by groups such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia _ for nearly half a century, but the jamming had been in substantial decline since last July, Reporters Without Borders said in a statement released Wednesday. On May 11, however, North Korea began stepping up its jamming of independent and dissident broadcasts. The group denounced the jamming as a "violation of international law." "The Pyongyang regime is trying to stop North Koreans from getting news other than that served up by the regime," said the Paris-based organization, which champions the cause of free media. Human rights activists and groups critical of North Korea's totalitarian regime have tried for decades to influence public opinion in the isolated country by bombarding it with propaganda and news broadcasts. Last month, North Korea denounced news from the outside world as aimed at destabilizing the regime and ordered tougher restrictions on videocassettes, written material, cell phones and CDs entering the country, Reporters Without Borders said. The new crackdown may be linked to last week's test run of train service between the divided Koreas, the first time trains had crossed the heavily fortified frontier since the 1950-53 Korean War, the group said. The statement did not explain why North Korea's jamming started to decline last year, but it said that serious energy shortages in the poverty stricken country have prevented round-the-clock interference of all frequencies. Targeted broadcasts include those from 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, the group said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/