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NORTH KOREA: ON THE
BORDERLINE
Part 4: Historic city tightens
up
By Miao Ye
Part 1: Soldiers head for the frontier
Part 2: All quiet on the Dandong front
Part 3: The past returns to Ji'an
HONG KONG - Recently an undisclosed source
revealed to Asia Times Online that there was an advance
party of 7,000 soldiers deployed in Ji'an city, Jilin
province, while another large number of troops is to be
deployed late this year or early next, making the total
number of troops 20,000-30,000.
One of the three
major border points between China and North Korea, Ji'an
is in the southeastern part of Jilin province. China and
North Korea are separated by the Yalu River. In Jilin,
the river is so narrow that one can see Man Po, the
sixth-largest city in North Korea, on the other side. At
the beginning of the Korean War, the 39th Army of the
PLA (People's Liberation Army) entered North Korea from
Jilin during the "Help North Korea, Fight America" era.
When ATol correspondents visited Ji'an, the city
was very calm. Local residents said they thought the
Sino-North Korean relationship was a very peaceful one.
Nothing unusual happens there, apparently. According to
the residents, it was only when the North Korean nuclear
crisis surfaced that extra troops were seen on the
Korean side of the river. The atmosphere at that time
was tense, and all travel and trade activities stopped.
But now everything is back to normal, the residents
said.
Despite the apparent calm, however, an
advance party of PLA soldiers was deployed in the area
late last month. About 7,000 of them were distributed to
several remote towns. That is why a lot of Ji'an
residents are unaware of their presence.
Ji'an
and Man Po are connected by a railway bridge. Until
recently, the bridge had been watched by police armed
with rifles. The Foreign Ministry, responding to reports
about troop movements near the North Korean border, has
called this a routine "redeployment" of border patrols.
But the armed police guarding the railway bridge at
Ji'an said they had not received any notice of
redeployment.
Near Lower Jiefang, a small
village near the railway bridge, a small force of 40
soldiers were deployed awhile ago. However, they were
reinforcing, not replacing, the armed police already
stationed there, meaning it was a real increase in the
number of troops. The barracks of this small force are
guarded by two armed soldiers who glare at anyone
passing by, increasing the tension in the atmosphere.
About 25 years ago, a force called the Leifeng
Regiment was stationed in Tunggu village near the urban
area of Ji'an city, and very near the North Korean
border. After the Leifeng Regiment left, the barracks
were remodeled into the Leifeng Memorial Hall. When the
hall was moved, the former barracks area became a
residence for local civilians. Recently, however, this
piece of land, along with some other local residential
areas, has been taken back by the military. The whole
area taken back is double that originally occupied by
the Leifeng Regiment. According to a local undisclosed
source, the existing buildings there are to be removed
and rebuilt early next year (it is not a habit of local
people to build during November and December because of
the cold weather). After the reconstruction finishes,
some 20,000-30,000 troops are expected to be deployed
there, arriving early next year. Some say the troops
will arrive earlier than that.
In another
indication that all is not normal in Ji'an, most of the
tourist attractions there were closed recently - a very
unusual move ahead of National Day (October 1), a time
when many Chinese travel around the country for
sightseeing. Sightseeing and photography in Ji'an are
now strictly prohibited. All the scenic spots are
surrounded by fences. Every 10 meters a monitor can be
seen.
Most of the scenic spots in Ji'an are
related historically to Korea. For example, the "General
Tomb" is the tomb of the 20th king, also called "the
long-lived king", who reigned during Korea's Koguryo
dynasty. Local people say Koreans show so much respect
for this tomb that they regard it as the tomb of their
own ancestors. Many of them kneel down and salute once
they enter the site.
The official explanation
for the closure of Ji'an's historic sites is that they
are in the process of being submitted for some sort of
"world heritage" status, but ATol could find no
independent evidence for any such application.
(Copyright 2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All
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