HRES 555 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 555
Expressing concern for the well-being of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee and urging the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to release them on humanitarian grounds.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2009
Mr. SCHIFF submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Expressing concern for the well-being of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee and urging the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to release them on humanitarian grounds.
Whereas Laura Ling is a United States journalist who was born in 1976 and graduated with a communications degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1998;
Whereas Ms. Ling joined Channel One as an associate producer in 1999, eventually becoming a producer;
Whereas Ms. Ling is married to Iain Clayton who, along with her other family members, loves and misses her;
Whereas Euna Lee is a journalist who was born in South Korea in 1972 and, after moving to the United States for college, graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Film and Broadcasting from the Academy of Art University in 2001;
Whereas since 2000, Ms. Lee has worked as a film and video editor for several television stations and production companies in the San Francisco Bay area of California;
Whereas Ms. Lee is married to Michael Saldate and is the mother of a four year old daughter, Hannah, both of whom, along with her other family members, love and miss her;
Whereas Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee have been detained by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since March 2009;
Whereas Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee were tried by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in a proceeding that began on June 4, 2009;
Whereas, on June 8, 2009, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee had been convicted and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor;
Whereas the families of Ms. Lee and Ms. Ling have stated that, if the journalists broke the law, the families apologize; and
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called upon the Government of North Korea to release the journalists, saying ‘We think the imprisonment, trial and sentencing of Laura and Euna should be viewed as a humanitarian matter. We hope that the North Koreans will grant clemency and deport them.’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) urges the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to grant clemency to Laura Ling and Euna Lee and return them to the United States;
(2) supports efforts by President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and others to secure the release of the journalists on humanitarian grounds; and
(3) urges other nations to encourage North Korea to free Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee on humanitarian grounds and return them to the United States.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.Res.555 as Introduced in House Expressing concern for the well-being of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee and urging...
