Faced with armed resistance throughout the country, the military council forces have been conducting airstrikes and heavy artillery fire day after day.
Every day, at least one civilian is killed and four others injured due to these attacks by the military council.
According to the statistics collected by RFA, 43 civilians were killed and 138 were injured by air strikes and heavy weapons in September 2023.
Airstrikes and shell explosions destroyed homes, The civilians living in the compound were killed.
"Three women, one tiger died. The dead tiger is a 15-year-old tiger. His name is Maung Lin Zeran Tun, 34-year-old Ma Soe Soe, then 44-year-old Ma Moe Moe, then 33-year-old. He didn't let go. He fell straight on their house. He died on the spot."
In Sagaing, the military council is patrolling almost every day, so the fighting is also intense with the local People's Defense Forces (PDF). Locals said that during such battles, when the military council side is hurt, they often go towards the villages and shoot with heavy weapons.
On September 29, a battle broke out between the Military Council Army and the PDF in Pearl City. After that, when the Military Council troops returned fire with no less than 10 artillery shells, six of the artillery shells exploded in the Thane Tin neighborhood, killing 64-year-old Daw Ma Kyi.
In addition to Daw Ma Kyi's death, a local resident said that homes in the Thanetpin neighborhood were also damaged.
"There was an exchange of fire with the People's Defense Forces. At the time of the incident, I was an auntie from the Palm Tree neighborhood. She was about 64 years old. The auntie was hit by the weapon and died on the spot. That day, more than ten shots were fired with the weapon. About five or six rounds fell into the Palm Tree neighborhood. The rest fell on more than a little over the neighborhood. One of the houses in that neighborhood fell on its roof. It was the roof that was damaged."
On September 27, Sagaing Division, Yantho Township, In Joe Taung village, 18 students were mass injured due to the military council army's heavy weapons.
As a result of these attacks, Sagaing was the region with the most civilian casualties, with 20 people killed and 38 injured in September. The second worst was the Karen National Union (KNU)-controlled eastern Bagu Division, where four civilians were killed and 26 injured.
Air strikes and heavy artillery fire by the Military Council Army in Yangon, Except for Irrawaddy and Rakhine State, it was done in 11 provinces.
RFA called General Zaw Min Tun, who was allowed to speak to the military council about these attacks, today, but he did not receive an answer.
"Terrorist acts and airstrikes have been carried out step by step in order to educate the public, whoever is affected, and wherever they want to be affected."
U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, considers that the military council forces mainly rely on air and heavy weapons in areas that cannot be penetrated militarily.
"He launched military attacks only after receiving information about PDF activities. In terms of such military attacks, if we are talking about the whole country, under the situation where the military council is in a state where there is a lot of conflict, they are now offering air strikes and aid. But air strikes are only military targets, and we cannot attack them. When we cannot attack them, we can only touch the public, whoever wants to be touched, so that we can educate them about the terrorist act."
After 2022, when the armed resistance across the country became stronger, the military council has been carrying out more airstrikes and heavy weapons fire.
According to the RFA's statistics, 815 civilians were killed from January 2022 to September 2023 due to the military council's heavy weapons and airstrikes. 1624 were injured.
In North Korea, a writer is a ‘propaganda worker?’
MC : Hello listeners in North Korea , this is Do Myung-hak's North-South literary tour . This is Albert Hong from Washington, USA, who hosted the event . Today , we will talk about North and South Korean literature with South Korean North Korean defector novelist Do Myung-hak. Hello, teacher?
Do Myung-hak : Yes , hello .
MC : Today, I would like to learn about the methods and processes to become a literary writer in South Korea and North Korea . First, what does ‘ literature ’ mean in South and North Korea ?
Taomyeonghak : Generally speaking, literature is a part of culture that is universally thought of in North and South Korea , or in any country or nation in the world . In other words , it is a medium through the form of poetry , novels , and essays that affects the inner world of human emotions , emotions, etc. The difference is that in communist countries, including North Korea, it is used as a means of political propaganda . In other words, literature in North Korea is a means of inspiring loyalty to the Workers' Party, the country, the system , and the leadership . In that sense, North Korea describes literature as “communist anthropology . ” This is a completely different interpretation from South Korea .
A North Korean resident is reading the Rodong Sinmun at a hotel in downtown Pyongyang. /Union
MC : Then, the definition of ‘ literary writer ’ in North and South Korea seems to be different . What is the difference ?
Do Myung-hak : Of course it has to be different . In South Korea, writers are literally just writers and artists . However, in North Korea, writers are no different from propaganda workers for the Labor Party . It can be said that half of the people who implement the party's literary policy are politicians and half are artists . In a letter that Kim Jong-il sent to writers during the collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, he called them “the Party’s eternal companions , faithful helpers , and excellent advisors . ” This means that he recognized that the power of the pen was desperately needed to stabilize the dictatorship . At the time, there was a rumor going around among North Korean writers that it was because of the writers that socialism in the Eastern Bloc collapsed . Because the party did not properly guide writers and literary works in those countries, the writers' ideology was corrupted and the youth and people were corrupted by writing bourgeois literary works. I also believe that the invisible power of writers played a role in the collapse of socialism in the Eastern Bloc. I agree that it would have been done . But I envied the Eastern Bloc writers, thinking that they still had the freedom to write such works .Writers from that country did things that North Korean writers could not even imagine .
MC : What process do I have to go through to become a writer in South Korea ?
Do Myung-hak : There are many ways to become a writer in South Korea, but there are big differences from North Korea . First of all, there are more ways to become a writer in South Korea than in North Korea . Also, it is relatively easier to become a writer in North Korea .
The most representative way to debut as a writer in South Korea is to win a spring literary contest held by a publishing company or newspaper . However, it is quite difficult to win the spring literary contest . A work of art is all about individuality, and you don't know whether the tastes of the judges and the artist's personality will match . They may be able to judge things like writing style and writing skills, but when it comes to the content and composition of a work, the judges all evaluate it in their own way . Instead, if you are elected, it can be said that it is the most wonderful way to debut . However, the number of channels through which South Korea makes its debut can be said to be wider than in North Korea, as there are many publishers and newspaper companies . North Korea also has a similar system to South Korea's Spring Literary Contest, which is called the “National Public Literary Works Contest” held once a year directly by the Korean Writers' Union . Here, excellent works are divided into four grades: 1st place , 2nd place , 3rd place, honorable mention, and 1st place goes to novels , poems , and plays ., one person from each of the four categories of children's literature will be selected, and the first place winner will receive the “ 6.4 Literary Award” and immediately become a member of the Writers' Alliance . Occasionally, there are second place winners who do not receive first place , and although they do not receive a literary award, they are recognized as having sufficient authorship and are allowed to join the Writers' Alliance . The problem is that in North Korea, there is no freedom of press and publication, there is no diversity, and there is no other channel for debuting other than first or second place in the “National Public Literary Works Competition” hosted by the Writers' Union . Other publishers also have competitions with names that have their own meaning, but if you are selected, you will only be mentioned as a potential writer, but you will not become an official writer .
Next, in South Korea, there are many ways to become a writer even without the Spring Literary Contest. Anyone can submit at least one book . Regardless of the quality of the work, if a publisher publishes it, they will recognize you as an author . So, some people pay a fee to a publisher to publish a book, and this is called self-publishing . No matter the quality of the work, if it looks like it will make money from the publisher's point of view, it will be released . This has a side effect. Some people pay money to a printer to print a book if they don't have a publishing company willing to do so . However, since my name is written in three letters there, I can say that I am also a writer who has published a book . Still, you may hear people say what kind of writer he is, but you won't be criticized for saying he isn't . This is an unimaginable method in North Korea . In North Korea, where there is no freedom of the press, no matter how much money an individual has, he cannot publish a book under his own name . If a publisher publishes it, you could become a political prisoner . The only thing that cannot be published without passing censorship is North Korea, which dare not even think about doing so .
Lastly, the way to make a literary debut in South Korea is to have authoritative literary organizations judge aspiring writers based on their daily work and have them become members through a review and decision by the board of directors of the literary organizations. North Korea also has a similar method . If you have published several works and are considered to be at a level where you can be considered a writer, you are invited to join the Writers' Alliance . In this case, if you are not a college graduate, we will send you to the writer training class at Kim Hyung-jik University in Pyongyang to provide you with an academic background and supplement your systematic education on literature. After graduation, you will be accepted as a member of the Writers' Union . It is a course taken by young workers and peasant youths under the age of 35 who have achieved a considerable level through self-study, but only those recommended by the Writers' Union are eligible. If you look closely, you will find that among these young people, surprisingly, there are more famous writers than those who studied literature at regular universities. often appears . There is no such system in South Korea .
MC : What about North Korea ? Is background also a factor in becoming a writer ?
Do Myung-hak : A long time ago, when it came to becoming a writer, one's background was often considered . However, as time passed, the number of aspiring writers decreased, and because it was very difficult to become a writer in North Korea, there was a change in the direction of considering background background less due to a lack of creative ability . Whether you are a coal mine worker or a farmer, becoming a writer is the only channel through which you can rise in social status as long as you write good works .
Citizens reading the Rodong Sinmun posted at a subway station in Pyongyang. /AP
MC : What do writers in North and South Korea do once they become writers ?
Do Myung-hak : In South Korea, if you become a writer, you can just write a work, and if you don't want to write, you don't have to write . There is no questioning for that, and the government does not make an issue of it . If you cannot make a living just by writing, it is your choice to become a school teacher, farm, or run a business . Then, when I gradually become famous and can make a living just by writing, I start working as a full-time writer .
But North Korea is different. In North Korea, once you become an artist, the authorities consistently order your work . North Korean writers are largely divided into active writers and current writers. In particular, active writers are writers who commute to the Writers' Union building every day like office workers, so they are paid a salary and receive manuscript fees according to the manuscript fee . Therefore, active writers do not have enough time to write only the works that the party orders, so they do not have much time to write the works they want to write . A working writer is a writer who writes while working another job and is relatively free . That's because I don't receive a salary from the Writers' Union . However, there are many times when I take on work assignments that I cannot handle in my current position . It's not compulsory, but if I want to continue my life as a writer, I'm in a position where I have to write despite my worries .
MC : What is society’s view of literary writers ?
Do Myung-hak : In South Korea, writers are seen as cool and popular people . People who write good works and sell a lot of books and become rich are often envied . In North Korea, writers are viewed as great noblemen , but in fact, this is a story from the past. As the lives of writers have become miserable due to economic difficulties, we have come to hear people call them Don Quixote, who lives a life out of touch with reality . Of course, the majority of writers are poor in the North and South . Whether in South or North Korea, only a very small number of writers make a good living .
MC : What do you think , do North and South Korean authors have in common the dream of becoming successful best-selling authors ?
Tao Myung-hak : That too can be seen as a common dream . The desire for honor and the desire to leave a lasting mark on the world is the same in both South and North Korea . However, in North Korea, there is no such term as bestseller . North Korean artists are not interested in selling their works . Anyway, even if a new book comes out, we can't print it out because we don't have enough paper, so we can't sell it because we don't have enough books . And there is no concept of royalties . If you publish a work, regardless of how many copies it sells, you will only receive the manuscript fee for each genre set by the authorities . However, the author does not need to be involved in whether a book sells a lot or a little .
MC : What is the most difficult thing about getting recognized as a literary writer ? South ( Comparing Korea and North Korea )
Do Myung-hak : Whether in South or North Korea, it is the same in that it takes a lot of effort and luck to be recognized as a writer . Above all, you need to be recognized for your skills, but I think the most difficult thing is the difficulty in making a living . I think the most difficult thing is not being able to go all-in on creation and not being able to waste too much time on making a living .
MC : Please give a word to young literature students who dream of becoming writers . ( South Korea and North Korea )
Tao Myung-hak : The path to literature is not a smooth one . There is a saying that the writer is the last remaining sufferer . No matter what difficulties or slumps you face, you must have the will to overcome them . Even if you hear harsh criticism of your work, you should tolerate it, but you should not be discouraged . A writer must be persistent . No matter what harsh criticism he receives about his work, he must not be discouraged and rise up like Ottogi . Next, he said that a writer's reputation does not shine just because he or she writes well . Before the work, the human side must be beautiful and fragrant . Writers are said to be the beacons of intelligence . Dreams will come true when you keep in mind that the writer's laurels are just as heavy and work hard .
MC : Yes , teacher , thank you for your hard work .
Do Myung-hak : Yes , thank you for your hard work .
MC : So far, it has been Do Myung-hak's literary tour of the South . We'll see you again next week . Hello .
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