North Korean authorities have recently begun demanding that ordinary people contribute rice for the military, calling it “patriotic rice.” The demands come after the Rear Services General Bureau of the Korean People’s Army went around major farms late last year to make purchases of military rice, but was unable to secure enough grain.
According to a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong Province on Tuesday, North Korean authorities have recently been demanding people contribute at least five kilograms of “patriotic rice” per person.
This means that a family of four would have to provide at least 20 kilograms of rice, a demand that represents a considerable burden on households.
The rice North Korea is collecting from people is going into military rice stores managed by the Rear Services General Bureau, said the source.
North Korea calls the rice contributions a “voluntary activity for national development,” but with neighborhood watch units and enterprises essentially mandating donations, people are being semi-forced to contribute.
In fact, people are saying that with all other families providing rice or corn, “our family cannot be the only one that doesn’t give, and if we don’t, there’s no doubt we’ll be criticized,” said the source.
North Korea has conducted pan-national campaigns to collect “patriotic rice” every year, but this year, the authorities are forcing people to provide rice while emphasizing still further devotion to the state.
Many enterprises have even ordered workers to provide 10 kilograms of rice, while farmers in agricultural communities are being asked to contribute more than 10 times as much grain as city dwellers.
With farmer incomes falling due to last year’s decrease in agricultural production and forced grain sales to state agencies and official grain shops at giveaway prices, the added demand for “patriotic rice contributions” is causing more and more farmers to complain to the authorities, according to the source.
“People are complaining that they could survive if only the government didn’t task them with providing things, but since the state tells everyone to give every day without them getting anything in return, they can’t just live their lives,” he said. “They are also complaining that as time passes, the state is squeezing the people while going on about patriotism and loyalty.”
At the Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee late last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called on officials to “actively organize and correctly lead socialist patriotic movements and revolutionary mass movements, which are powerful impetus for the national revival.”
Kim essentially called for the Workers’ Party and labor organizations to conduct mass campaigns in the name of “patriotism,” with suggests that the authorities will demand contributions from people outside of the agricultural sector as well this year.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
