More on the N. Korean Refugees Being Held in Laos
[Update: Human Rights Without Frontiers has launched an urgent appeal, which I reprint in full below, with Lao Embassy contacts in several nations. I called the Embassy today and thanks all who do so in advance.]
Tim Peters has sent an update on the story The Korea Liberator broke here yesterday about the North Korean refugees jailed in Laos. You will recall that eight refugees and two South Korean activists were intercepted by the Lao police, who arrested and later ransomed the refugees. Tim adds the fact that after this first arrest and release, two other North Korean refugees who were traveling separately joined the group. All ten refugees and both activists were then arrested on June 3rd — a total of 12 prisoners.
All ten refugees are still held, and are now at the Luang Prabrang immigration detention center (enough people are apparently sneaking into Laos that they need one). The Lao detention center authorities told the South Korean activists that if a South Korean diplomat were to visit the refugees and declare that they are South Koreans, the refugees would be released to SK custody. As of Thursday afternoon Korea time, no South Korean diplomat had visited either the refugees or the South Korean activists, all of whom are still held in the facility.
So there you have it. No wonder so many of them have no use for South Korea.
============== Urgent Appeal from Human Rights Without Frontiers ================
On June 3, 2006, ten North Korean refugees and two South Korean humanitarian workers were arrested and are currently detained in Immigration Detention Center in Pang Mong, Luan Brabang Province of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. They are threatened with forced repatriation to North Korea, where they are expected to face imprisonment and death penalty.
The names of the refugees are:
1. Cha Song-chol, male, husband, 53 years old
2. Cheon Yong-kum, female, wife, 58 years old
3. Cha Kwang-su, male, son, 25 years old (the above persons constitute one family)
4. Kim Kyong-suk, female, 71 years old
5. Chu Hi-ok, female, 40 years old
6. Yim Jong-suk, female, 36
7. Shim Yong-kum, female, 35 years old
8. Park Yong-nan, female, 26 years old
9. Jeon Song-hi, female, 26 years old
10. Kim Jong-ae, female, 35 years oldNames of the South Korean aid workers in detention:
1. Kim Hee-tae, male, South Korean
2. Shin Sang Hwa, male, South KoreanThe North Korean refugees were fleeing their country in the hope of finding a safe haven in a SouthEast Asian country. The authorities in Laos threaten to turn them over to the North Korean embassy in Laos.
North Koreans are deprived of any access to the UNHCR refugee status determination procedure. Their arrests in countries of Asia and their repatriation to North Korea constitute violations of customary international law. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defines a refugee to be someone with “well-founded fear of being prosecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinions”.
North Koreans have no protection on their return back to the country. Article 47 of the Criminal Code of North Korea is explicit: ” a citizen of the Republic who defects to a foreign country or to the enemy in betrayal of the country and the people “¦.shall be committed to a reform institution for not less that seven years. In cases where the person commits an extremely grave offence, he or she shall be given death penalty”.
In this respect, we would like to draw your attention to a statement adopted by four United Nations Special Rapporteurs on 31 May 2006. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Leila Zerrougui, the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture; and Vitit Muntarbhorn, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea expressed their dismay at the refusal of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respond in any meaningful way to concerns expressed in relation to the scheduled execution of an individual for alleged treason. The four UN Special Rapporteurs deplored the failure of the DPRK Government to cooperate with the special procedures established by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
To prevent the forced repatriation of the North Korean refugees, which will lead to grave consequences for their physical integrity and life, your urgent intervention is immediately requested. We respectfully urge you to protest to the authorities of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in the strongest possible terms for the immediate release of these innocent victims.
Write to the Lao Embassy of your country
Lao Embassy in Australia
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
1 Dalmain Crescent O’Malley
Canberra ACT 2606
Tel: (+61 6) 286-4595, 286-6933
Fax: (+61 6) 290-1910.Lao Embassy in Belgium
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Avenue Brabançonne 19
1000 Brussels
Tel: +32-(0)2-740.09.50 – Fax: +32-(0)2-734.16.16Email: Ambalaobx@yucom.be
Lao Embassy in France (covering the UK as well)
His Excellency Mr Soutsakhone Pathammavong
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
74 Avenue Raymond-Poincaré
75116 Paris
Fax: 00 33 145530298
Email: ambalaoparis@wanadoo.frLao Embassy in Japan
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
3-3-22 Nishi-Azabu Minato-Ku
Tokyo 106
Tel: (+81 3) 5411-2291, 5411-2292
Fax: (+81 3) 5411-2293.Lao Embassy in Sweden
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Hornsgatan 82-B1 TR 11721
Stockholm
Tel: (+46 8) 668-5122
Fax: (+46 8) 669-2176.Lao Embassy in the US
Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
2222 S Street NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel. (202) 332-6416 Fax: (202) 332-4923
1 Response