{"id":285,"date":"2009-07-09T14:52:38","date_gmt":"2009-07-09T14:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/intentchopra\/2009\/07\/michael-jackson-and-kim-jong-i.html"},"modified":"2009-07-09T14:52:38","modified_gmt":"2009-07-09T14:52:38","slug":"michael-jackson-and-kim-jong-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/intentchopra\/2009\/07\/michael-jackson-and-kim-jong-i.html","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jackson and Kim Jong Il (by Gotham Chopra)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last time I spoke to my friend Michael Jackson<\/strong><\/a> was about a month ago, 3 weeks before his shocking death. He had called me late one night to ask about another of my close friends who he had read about in the news. Laura Ling<\/strong><\/a>, a former colleague and friend, was detained originally by North Korean border guards along with her colleague Euna Lee<\/strong><\/a> on March 17th. Since then, they have been imprisoned, had very little contact with their families or western officials, and endured a secretive trial at which they were sentenced to twelve years hard labor. At this present moment, it is unclear where Laura and Euna are – whether they remain in a government guesthouse where they were originally held, in a hospital (due to medical problems for both of them), or moved to the infamous North Korean labor camps that many do not survive.<\/p>\n

Michael had read some of the details regarding Laura and Euna’s predicament. As was often the case with him and global events he read about – from famine in Africa to victims of natural disasters in far off countries, to orphans created by wars – he felt a deep sense of empathy for Laura and Euna. When I shared with him that Euna had a four-year-old daughter, he was even more anguished.<\/p>\n

He asked me whether I had had any contact with Laura. I told him I had written her a few letters and had been assured they were getting through. Outside of that, her own family had only heard from her twice – brief monitored phonecalls – in the over three months they had been imprisoned. When I told him that, Michael paused.<\/p>\n

“Do you think,” he said hesitantly, “that the leader of North Korea could be a fan of mine?”<\/p>\n

Continue Reading on INTENT.com<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

– Gotham Chopra<\/em><\/p>\n

Please Sign the Petition for Amnesty for Laura Ling and Euna Lee<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information about Laura and Euna and how you can help please go to – <\/strong>http:\/\/www.lauraandeuna.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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