ONLY ON AP American Matthew Miller, serving six years of hard labour, describes prison life

Описание: (25 Sep 2014) The latest American imprisoned in North Korea says he's working eight hours a day digging fields, and being kept in isolation, but so far his health is not deteriorating.
Associated Press Television News was given the chance to speak with Miller in his first appearance since sentencing.
Under close guard and with only enough time for one question, Miller was able to give a brief description of the conditions he is facing.
Matthew Miller was allowed a phone call home to his family Wednesday, from Pyongyang. He spoke to his father for approximately nine minutes.
North Korean authorities arranged Wednesday's phone call, and brought Miller to an international hotel to make the connection. Miller does not have routine access to phone calls home.
Miller wore a prison-style uniform of grey, loose-fitting clothes and matching cap.
His hair had been shaved since his court appearance on 14 September.
Miller said that he had written a series of letters pleading for help from influential Americans, from Michelle Obama, to US Secretary of State John Kerry, and other senators, as well as former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and enclosed them in a letter sent to his family by post from Pyongyang.
In 2009, North Korea detained two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Laura Ling wrote an account of her experience and explained that North Korean authorities were very sensitive to the choice of an official that could come from America to secure their release. She and Euna Lee were finally freed by a visit to Pyongyang by former US President Bill Clinton.
Associated Press has permanent offices in Pyongyang, and over the past years has repeatedly asked to follow up the cases of American citizens detained in North Korea. Access to detained Americans is closely controlled by North Korean authorities, and until last year, it was never allowed, until the moment of their release.
Two other American citizens are also still being held in North Korea. Kenneth Bae has been in North Korean custody since 2012, and was sentenced in 2013 to 15 years hard labour. Jeffrey Fowle was detained in May this year but North Korea has not yet brought him to trial.


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