prolonged by a number of years. In the camp, not only does the prisoner who committed suicide get branded as a traitor, but his/her entire family is likewise branded and the prison term of the bereaved family is prolonged by five years. The SSA officers made all kinds of efforts to prevent suicides, but the incidence of suicide in the camp never decreased. There were cases of suicide every month. Normally, prisoners hung themselves, but some prisoners drank poison (lye). The lifeless body is picked up and carried away to an unknown location without informing the family. They bury the victim of suicide directly beneath the dirt roadway. The road is then made flat again as before. The purpose of this bizarre practice is to make it impossible to find the burial site again. They call it “flat burial” and it leaves no sign whatsoever of the burial. All prisoners who commit suicide are buried ‘flat’ so that no one will be able to find where the prisoner is buried. Once, an unmarried offender ran away during a wood-cutting detail on the mountainside. Search parties failed to find him for three days. It was discovered later that he killed himself by simply lying down in a remote area, deep in the mountain forest. He was found dead just like that. He took off his shoes, simply lay down on his back and gave up the ghost.” Secondly, let me tell you about the rule of prohibiting greetings between prisoners. The rule says that all prisoners, whether an offender or family member of an offender, are not allowed to even say “hello” to another prisoner. Thirdly, let me tell you about the rules laid down for the workplace. Roll call is held at 5:30 every morning. Reporting late three times is considered equal to one day’s absence from work and the prisoner is deprived of one full day of meals. You must accomplish without fail your daily work quota as instructed by the chief of a five-person work unit. There is a study session at the end of every work day and an ideology lecture twice a week. The study sessions and ideology lectures are essential elements of education for personal reform and promoting the spirit of the revolution. (Kang Chul-hwan from Ipsok-ni, PPC No. 15) “When you first arrive at the camp, you take classes for safety rules, etc. by sectors for safely rules, etc. Then, all prisoners are pushed into an underground tunnel that turns out to be a mine. There are 10 rules in the camp including one that forbids prisoners from speaking to anyone outside (the PPC) and about the duty of protection of the Leader. It is made clear to the prisoner that he will be re-arrested again for a violation of those rules. Since I was sent there when I was only a small child, I cannot remember all the rules. They read those rules to me when I was being released. I understood that theft and murder were among violations of rules there.” (A09, former prisoner, from PPC No. 18, 1975~2000) 91