{"id":4184,"date":"2019-05-02T19:18:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T10:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4184"},"modified":"2019-05-17T17:43:30","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T08:43:30","slug":"relocate-tombs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2019\/05\/society-economy\/relocate-tombs\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Cremations for Cash: Residents Relocate Tombs as Regime Rakes in Profits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A mountain that has been cleared to the top. There are hardly any trees. Photographed from the Chinese side of the border with Musan county, North Hamkyung Province in May 2010 by Li Jin-su<\/p><\/div>\n

According to reporting partners in North Hamkyung and Yanggang Province, North Korean authorities are forcing citizens to cremate the buried remains of ancestors and relocate tombs away from mountains and farmland. In an attempt to secure the land and restore forests, the regime has placed the burden of relocating ancestral tombs on residents, causing widespread discontent. (Kang Ji-won \/ ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/p>\n

According to reporting partners, the measure was ordered by the Central Committee of the Labor Party, before being passed to the party committee of each province, and ultimately delivered to residents at inminban (local political unit) meetings. The order was received before cheongmyeongjeol on April 5, the traditional day for tending to tombs. In a move to transition away from burials to cremation, subsequent burials are banned, with bodies to be cremated instead.<\/p>\n

The first tombs to be relocated were those around roads and railroads. The first period of relocating ended on April 10, with a second round to be completed by June 10. Graves that have not be relocated are not to be tended to any longer and will soon be disposed of by authorities.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner from Yanggang Province complained, \u201cWhy are they interfering with the tombs of our ancestors? They told us not to bury our relatives for the next 3 years- many people are anxious that if we move the tombs hastily, 3 generations of graves will be destroyed. Especially the remains of ancestors that have been buried for a long time- how are we supposed to relocate the remains when nothing is left? Residents are awfully worried.\u201d
\nNext page : Residents complain that \u201cAuthorities are ordering cremations to make money\u201d\u2026 <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Residents complain that \u201cAuthorities are ordering cremations to make money\u201d<\/h2>\n

In fact, a main concern of residents is the cost of relocating tombs and cremating remains.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner in North Hamkyung Province explained, \u201cJust living is difficult right now- the burden is too great. We are moving the tombs but it takes people and the cost for cremating remains is extortionately expensive. There are a lot of residents complaining that cremations are being ordered just to squeeze money out of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The crematorium is running day and night with people coming to pay tribute once more to their ancestors. There\u2019s a line out the door of people waiting to do so but they are expected to pay a fee to the crematorium of 300 Chinese yuan (about 43 USD). This is more than a whole month\u2019s income for an average worker. In addition, the cost of relocating a tomb is about 60-100 Chinese yuan (8.5-14.5 USD). According to the reporting partner, \u201cgrave demolition\u201d teams of 3-4 men are hired to dispose of old tombs.<\/p>\n

In North Korea\u2019s cities and countryside, cemeteries were built away from residential areas and at the foot of mountains. These mountains were lined with tombs and available sites for burials gradually diminished.<\/p>\n

The authorities say that their intention is to clean up the many forgotten tombs and to free up land for use. By establishing a custom of cremation, however, it is likely that the regime also intends to raise funds through operating crematoriums.<\/p>\n

Cremated remains can be stored at the crematoriums but the fee is 100 won per day and 365,000 won per year (about 4.3 USD). More and more people are electing to cast the ashes into rivers instead.<\/p>\n

\u203bASIAPRESS contacts reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese phones.<\/p>\n

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