Page 4 - AAA
P. 4
WORLD NEWS A11
Thursday 21 May 2015
Peace activists hit roadblock ahead of DMZ crossing
Medea Benjamin, center with a pink sign, co-founder of CodePink Women for Peace, and other both governments to cross the United Nations Com-
female peace activists join together for a group photo upon their arrival at Pyongyang Airport in the DMZ, but we don’t mand with jurisdiction over
Pyongyang, North Korea. know precisely where,” Ahn the Joint Security Area to
told The Associated Press cooperate with our re-
(AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin) at the hotel in Pyongyang quest to cross at Panmun-
where she and the group jom,” Steinem said. “This
are staying. “We have ev- Orwellian experience we
ery intention of crossing at are having is yet one more
Panmunjom. However, it demonstration of how in-
seems we are not able to sane, and wasteful and
get official responses.” cruel and outdated this
Steinem, an iconic figure in boundary is.”
the international women’s North and South Ko-
rights movement, said she rea have technically been
wants Gen. Curtis Scap- in a state of conflict since
arrotti, the commanding the 1950-53 Korean War
officer of U.S. Forces, Ko- ended in an armistice, not
rea and the U.N. Com- a peace treaty. Their bor-
mand, to step in and pro- der along the DMZ is one of
vide security assurances the most heavily fortified in
for Korean officials on both the world. There is little di-
sides of the DMZ so that the rect contact between the
crossing can go through two Koreas and, with few
Panmunjom. exceptions, it is considered
“We appeal to Gen. Cur- a crime for citizens of either
tis Scaparrotti as head of country to cross the DMZ.q
PYONGYANG, North Ko- to take place Sunday. proved the crossing and
rea (AP) — Women activists Organizer Christine Ahn, a has requested confirma-
including Gloria Steinem Korean-American peace tion with Seoul through the
and two Nobel peace lau- activist, said the group of Red Cross. But she said she
reates said Wednesday 30 women from 15 coun- was informed after arriving
they may have to change tries still intends to march with her group on Tuesday
plans to cross Korea’s De- from the northern side of that Seoul had not replied.
militarized Zone because Panmunjom into South Ko- Pending clear approvals
authorities can’t guaran- rea. But officials in Pyong- from Seoul and the U.N.
tee their safety if they walk yang have informed her military command that su-
from the North to the South that without a formal let- pervises the DMZ, she said
at Panmunjom, the sym- ter from Seoul approving a the group has been ad-
bolic but tense site where crossing at Panmunjom — vised to consider crossing
the Korean War armistice usually reserved for govern- from nearby Kaesong on a
agreement was signed. ment missions — they may highway that is used mainly
The rare crossing of the have to cross at another for civilian and commercial
DMZ, which has been ap- location. purposes.
proved by both Koreas, is Ahn said North Korea ap- “We have approval from
Colombia:
Drug plane from Venezuela crashes off coast
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — tered Colombia’s air space whose nationality was un-
A small plane from Venezu- Wednesday and ordered it known, was found among
ela with more than a ton to descend. the wreckage along with
of cocaine on board has After the pilot moved to es- 1.2 metric tons of cocaine.
crashed into the Caribbe- cape, one of the plane’s Venezuela has become
an while being pursued by motors apparently failed a key transit country for
Colombia’s air force. and the aircraft crashed narcotics. Much of the
Video released by the air off the coast of Puerto Co- cocaine moves north to
force shows how fighter lombia. Central America on a dog-
jets intercepted the Hawk- Colombia’s coast guard legged path to avoid enter-
er 800 aircraft after it en- says the body of the pilot, ing Colombian airspace.q
