The Pasadena / San Gabrial Valley Journal News - Black African American Business, Educational and Social News

Late yesterday, Rep. Adam Schiff, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press, introduced a resolution urging North Korea to release American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee on humanitarian grounds. Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee have been held since March 17th when they were detained by North Korean soldiers on the border between China and North Korea. On June 8th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee had been tried for violating North Korean law and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. "Laura Ling and Euna Lee are two respected American journalists and should be released and returned to their families," said Schiff. "This resolution is a simple humanitarian appeal to North Korea to release Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee; they should not be used as pawns in the standoff between Pyongyang and the international community over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs."

Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee's case has drawn international attention. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the journalists' families, international press freedom advocacy organizations, and major national news publications have all called for their release.