David Lock

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22144667

I think the BBC are in the wrong here. What do you reckon?

So they trick a bunch of kids to join them in a clandestine trip to North Korea hoping that they won't get caught.

From what I have gleaned about NK if they had suspicions they would have no hesitation in shipping the students off to solitary in some god forsaken gulag after being paraded around Pyongyang as Western spies to much cheering for the Great Leader.

BBC claim it will be shown for "public interest" reasons but what does that mean? So we get to see the "real" NK with wobbly oxcarts and emaciated kids living on roots and dieing of starvation. Perhaps with a shot or two of happy workers slaving away on sponsored collective farms. All very sad but the irony is there is bugger all we can do about except hope one day.......

If the BBC want to go and film, fine. But the Beeb is teaming with out of work actors so use your own guys and gals.

David

urban

iTrader: (1)

Does stink of lies a bit.
He said/they said

dpb

It's the BBC ,license to abuse

David Lock

Can you imagine the s,hit the Beeb would be in if it had gone **** up

d

urban

iTrader: (1)

Yep, in reality though, it could have ended very badly.
And I doubt the little fat man would listen terribly well.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

When was this filmed ?
Is this just a case of a headline catching title from what was a genuine study ?

Tidgy

so was or wasnt the trip happening before the beeb got involved?

David Lock

Did you read link?


The BBC said the trip was organised by the wife of Panorama reporter John Sweeney. The couple spent eight days inside the country for the programme, along with a cameraman.

Mr Thomas said she had organised a similar trip for students a year earlier and the latest visit would have gone ahead even if Panorama had not been involved.


Seems a bit doubtful to me if a trip this year would have gone ahead in light of latest tensions.

d

Tidgy

Can't realy comment on if it would or wouldn't, but they didnt cross into NK by subdefuge, they were allowed in and escorted round by NK staff (and no doubt intellegance service personel), Also when was the trip? theres no mention of any date as far as i can see?

If it's a repeat visit why is it the bbc being ousted yet again? At the min people seem to be looking at everything the bbc do and pulling fault for anything and everything, justified or not.

David Lock

As I understand it the first visit was genuine but the second had an ulterior motive and had he NK Stasi discovered what that was there could have been very serious consequences for the team. Half a dozen Western "spies" - what a wonderful bargaining tool.

IMHO very irresponsible of the Beeb, not just Jimmy Savile trivia


dl

Tidgy

possibly true, but do you realy belive the students and uni were that nieve (SP)?

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

I'm awaiting the programme with interest. Perhaps it was a bit underhand, but fortunately it didn't go wrong, and following the publicity, they won't be able to do it again, so it should provide us with a fascinating one-off insight into the reality of life there.

Leslie

I will form an opinion when I have seen the programme.

Les

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

Is that a quotation from Kim Il-Sung...?

Sorry Les, just joking, it's a very sensible statement indeed.

EddScott

John Sweeney and his wife had been there before. Probably felt comfortable with the situation. Probably did tell the students beforehand. Probably wasn't film at current tensions level. They probably didn't think they were in "that" much danger.

Probably........

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

It's the Scientologists getting their own back on John Sweeney, Tom Cruise is in town at the moment promoting his new film.

David Lock

I heard the Beeb explained the risks involved. And just how would they actually know what they were as the whole place is run in secret or perhaps they have a report from NCIS?

dl

CrisPDuk

Since the LSE has always had a reputation for being more than a bit left wing, I'm inclined to take anything it's representatives have to say with a hefty pinch of salt

That student union bint is probably actually more upset about a shining example of State Socialism being portrayed in a bad light, than she is about any risk to the students

mrmadcap

If the students were shoved into some NK gulag would it have been any great loss to the UK?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Apparently the students involved won't be interviewed as they have been threatened via email by the NK government. I would suggest they very carefully check the real originas of any such emails

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

I hear Kim Jong-un has threatened to eat all of them....

...just as long as he gets a decent main course afterwards.

David Lock

A hospital with no patients

Might be a lesson for our NHS here. Certainly keep the complaints down

dl

urban

iTrader: (1)

NK is a pretty fcuked up place.
I didn't realise they were that much oppressed.
I'd get the **** out and move south.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Not as simple as that. If you leave the country (which is illegal), your family are arrested and thrown into a prison camp. The family suffers for 3 generations apparently.

From what I can make out, the entire country suffers to keep one family and the military rich.

Crazy country.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I didn't realise it was as bad as how it came across in that programme.
The music on the trains - no advertising anywhere, in fact not a lot of colour anywhere even