Daring to dream.

Is there a braver man alive than Chang Sung Taek? For those who missed it, he was the elderly figure in olive army kit dragged silently from a packed meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang.

Chang is the uncle of Kim Jong Un, North Korea's balloon-faced leader, although "is" may already be inaccurate. At least two of his assistants are said to have been shot last month in a purge to show all remaining doubters in the hermit state who's really boss. Chang could be next.

His crimes, read out to the Committee and broadcast to the nation, betray an almost suicidally individualistic cunning. He had been caught "gnawing at the unity and cohesion of the party" and expanding his influence in the strategic iron and fertiliser industries "in a crafty manner".

Even worse, the North Korean thought police - presumably - have found him "dreaming different dreams".

Only the degenerate Chang can truly know what occupies his mind, but it was surely filled with differentness as he indulged in "improper relations with several women and was wined and dined at [sic[ back parlours of deluxe restaurants".

Establishments meeting that description in the North Korean capital include the onsite dining room at a suburban ostrich farm; the basement "National Restaurant", with live show and fake grass ceiling; and the Pyongyang Number One Boat Restaurant, aka the Turtle Ship.

Is there a braver man alive than Mr Chang? Without a doubt. Like his nephew he has been feasting atop a ziggurat of corruption sustained by the labours of a half-starving nation. But if he can escape to South Korea fast enough to save himself, and devote the rest of his life to ending an unconscionable dictatorship, redemption could be his.

Kim watcher

Copyright 2013 Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing Group Provided by Syndigate.info , an Albawaba.com company

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:	Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain)
Date:	Dec 14, 2013
Words:	315
Previous Article:	Right to resist oppression.
Next Article:	Family fun on track...