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                                                                                         WORLD NEWS Monday 23 January 2017


















                 Little is known on status of U.S. student held in North Korea



                                                                                                   people  in  contact  with  released  through  the  Uni-
                                                                                                   them  have  been  cautious  versity of Virginia.
                                                                                                   about commenting on the  Although  there  has  been
                                                                                                   sensitive situation.         scant  news  on  Warmbier
                                                                                                   A  spokeswoman  for  Ohio  since  his  sentencing,  his
                                                                                                   Republican    Gov.    John  situation  could  re-emerge
                                                                                                   Kasich  said  he  continues  as Donald Trump’s adminis-
                                                                                                   to  be  “very  concerned”  tration begins dealing with
                                                                                                   about  Warmbier  and  dis-   North  Korea.  He  has  said
                                                                                                   cussed him during a White  he will push China to exert
                                                                                                   House visit in late 2016. The  its  influence  on  North  Ko-
                                                                                                   spokeswoman,     Emmalee  rea to bring it into line, but
                                                                                                   Kalmbach, said Kasich has  Trump  also  said  during  his
                                                                                                   encouraged  U.S.  authori-   presidential campaign that
                                                                                                   ties  to  keep  the  Warmbier  he would be willing to meet
                                                                                                   family informed.             with Kim Jong Un.
                                                                                                   Warmbier’s parents said af-  There’s  little  doubt  North
                                                                                                   ter his public confession last  Korea  would  like  to  use
                                                                                                   February  that  they  hadn’t  Warmbier to get a U.S. pres-
                                                                                                   been  able  to  communi-     ident to travel to “kowtow
                                                                                                   cate  with  him,  and  his  fa-  and ask for him back,” said
                                                                                                   ther, Fred, expressed hope  Boston  University  Professor
                                                                                                   his son’s “sincere apology”  Emeritus  Walter  Clemens,
                                                                                                   would  persuade  North  Ko-  whose  extensive  writings
                                                                                                   rea  to  allow  him  to  come  on North Korea include two
                                                                                                   home.  The  statement  was  books. q
            In this March 16, 2016, file photo, American student Otto Warmbier, center, is escorted at the Su-
            preme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea.
                                                                                  Associated Press

            DAN SEWELL                   minor to outsiders — Warm-   Another  U.S.  tourist  from
             Associated Press            bier said he wanted to take   Ohio,  Jeffrey  Fowle,  was
            CINCINNATI (AP) — There’s  the  banner  home  for  a      arrested in 2014 for leaving
            been  little  public  word  woman in Ohio who want-       a Bible in a nightclub and
            about what has happened  ed to hang it in her church      was freed after six months.
            to  an  American  college  — are seen in Washington       Already  at  odds  over  its
            student  detained  in  North  as having political motives,   nuclear  tests  and  missile
            Korea,  as  a  new  admin-   and Warmbier’s has come      launches,  North  Korea  in
            istration  takes  over  one  during a time of worsening   July called new U.S. sanc-
            year  later  amid  deep  U.S.  tensions.                  tions aimed directly at Kim
            concerns about the hostile  The    State   Department     Jong  Un  and  other  top
            country’s nuclear and mis-   calls the sentence “unduly   leaders  for  human  rights
            sile development.            harsh,”  and  spokesman      abuses  the  equivalent  of
            North  Korea  announced  John  Kirby  said  in  a  state-  declaring  war,  and  dip-
            last Jan. 22 it had detained  ment last week in response   lomats   inquiring   about
            Otto  Warmbier,  a  21-year-  to  an  Associated  Press   Warmbier  and  a  Korean-
            old University of Virginia stu-  query  that  the  depart-  American  also  being  held
            dent from suburban Cincin-   ment continues to work for   have been told they were
            nati, earlier that month for  Warmbier’s  “earliest  possi-  being treated under “war-
            alleged  anti-state  crime.  ble release.” Noting that he   time  law.”  It’s  not  clear
            Warmbier, who had visited  has gone through North Ko-     what that means, although
            North  Korea  with  a  tour  rea’s  criminal  process  and   it  could  imply  tougher
            group,  was  sentenced  in  been  detained  more  than    treatment.    The   United
            March to 15 years in prison  year,  he  said:  “We  contin-  States doesn’t have diplo-
            at  hard  labor  after  a  tele-  ue to urge the DPRK (Dem-  matic  relations  with  North
            vised tearful public confes-  ocratic  People’s  Republic   Korea.
            sion to trying to steal a pro-  of North Korea) to pardon   North  Korea  has  refused
            paganda banner.              him and grant him special    repeated Associated Press
            Such  North  Korean  deten-  amnesty  and  immediate      requests  in  Pyongyang  to
            tions  of  U.S.  citizens  for  of-  release  on  humanitarian   speak with Warmbier.
            fenses  that  might  seem  grounds.”                      The  Warmbier  family  and
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