FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO BILL RICHARDSON
OVER THE COURSE of my career, I’ve been called upon to negotiate the release of American prisoners held captive in foreign countries. It is a privilege I never anticipated having and one that I now deeply treasure. At the request of my superiors, even the president, I’ve flown to some of the most dangerous nations on earth—Cuba, Sudan, Iraq, and North Korea to name a few—to negotiate the release of American citizens. Often, I went after several other envoys made unsuccessful attempts to secure their freedom.
North Korea is at the top of that list. Not only is it very difficult to get into the DPRK, but if you do get in, it can be incredibly difficult to get out. And because the United States has no official relationship with their government, it makes it that much more difficult to communicate and bring about a successful negotiation.
That is why when I learned of Kenneth Bae’s arrest, I knew he was in for a difficult journey. I also knew the North Koreans pay close attention to American media, so I quickly spoke out on Kenneth’s behalf, along with many other concerned leaders, such as Jesse Jackson and even President Obama. We knew it was going to take some time to figure out a negotiating strategy. Then former NBA star Dennis Rodman launched his own goodwill tour of North Korea, and the publicity for Kenneth’s case went to a whole new level. Suddenly we had “sports diplomacy” working for us.
The American people care a great deal about our family members who travel abroad. It has certainly been true of the families of our troops over the decades, and it’s been the same with Kenneth’s family. The way Kenneth’s family and friends organized and brought attention to Kenneth’s plight was impressive and did a lot to cause our government to act.
He may be a different kind of soldier, no doubt, but a very effective one nonetheless. You see, I believe in the power and necessity of Americans to get involved in foreign affairs. We need to know other countries, make friends with them, and learn about their leaders, their customs, and their languages. You may not be as bold as Kenneth, but there is a place for ordinary citizens in international relations. We need to grow our list of goodwill ambassadors around the globe to include people driven by humanitarian missions and organizations not sponsored by a government office. Kenneth was and is driven by his strong Christian faith to help the poor and suffering in the far corners of the world. We can learn a lot from his example.
America is blessed with so many citizens with genuine concern for people living under oppressive regimes. They have big hearts and want to help in some way. And that’s what I found in Kenneth Bae: a man with a great deal of concern for the poor, starving people suffering under a brutal regime. Not many folks actually want to go to North Korea, but through his deep desire to help and his deep faith, this man found a way to reach them.
Imprisonment is a strange thing. Yes, it is deplorable that a man is held against his will in a foreign land and shoved into forced labor. It can crush the best of us. But there is a way to make the best of a bad situation. Cruel dictators know if they can crush a man’s spirit, they will lower his will to live. He can fall into despair in intense isolation. He might go mad thinking he may never see his wife and children again. Or, like Kenneth, he can take his eyes off of his own suffering and begin asking how he might best use his time in this terrible situation. As demonstrated by the experience of the apostle Paul in the Bible, extended amounts of time in prison can have the opposite effect. Instead of endless depression, prisoners can find themselves in long conversations with the prison guards and even form new friendships. Kenneth handled his imprisonment in a model fashion. He remained calm, was cooperative, told the truth, and did what his captors asked him to do. He showed respect to them and did his best to work with them.
We need more people like Kenneth Bae. I believe you will find his story riveting and the lengths he went to help others very inspirational.