Demonstrations Around the World Today Against PRC’s Repatriation of NK Refugees
A little before 1 p.m. today across the street from the Chinese embassy in Seoul 40+ people gathered to remind the Chinese government of a commitment it made 27 years ago today. On September 24, 1982, the PRC signed the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, the major international agreements which lay out how signatory governments say they will handle refugees.
Today’s demonstration in Seoul was one of approximately a dozen scheduled for September 24 around the world. They are being coordinated by the North Korea Freedom Coalition.
Though North Korean refugees in China face harsh interrogation, imprisonment, usually forced labor, and even sometimes execution — simply for the crime of leaving their country to search for a means to feed their family — the Chinese government systematically rounds them up and repatriates them anyway. When asked why they do not honor their international agreements related to protecting refugees, the PRC claims that North Korean refugees are economic migrants.
Below the fold are more photos from today’s event in Seoul, info on a group of 9 North Korean refugees who’ve entered an embassy in Hanoi, and a reminder about a major conference on NK Human Rights tomorrow in Seoul.
They sure found the perfect person to read the petition. This guy had nice, big voice.
The reporter above said she was from Swiss National TV.
The man being interviewed above is Suh Suk Koo. He is a lawyer from Daegu and organized the Seoul gathering.
The photos immediately above and below are from before the bulk of the people arrived.
So far, I only see a couple pieces in the Korean media about the demonstration here and here. The first link includes a photo that I think shows the group’s leaders submitting the petition to the embassy. The second makes it very clear that it was conservative groups that were conducting the demonstration. Very true, but alas, that means most young people won’t even bother to read beyond the headline.
But to leave on a positive note, a group of 9 North Korean refugees has safely entered the Danish embassy in Vietnam. Or read a much shorter blurb in Korean.
Also, just a quick reminder about tomorrow’s International Conference on North Korean Human Rights (here’s a summary in English) on the 20th floor of the Seoul Press Center in Gwanghwamun. That’s 9-5 p.m. Friday, September 25th. Based on last year, this is one to go to. It will be fairly big, and there will be translation devices for non-Korean speakers.
This is good, but its a shame there were only 40 people there when thousands gathered to protest US beef.
To alcyone: Definitely. But I place at least some of the blame on the organizers of these kinds of events. Eg, I had to email the Seoul contact twice before I got a reply for today’s event! Eg, click on the English info link for the conference I mentioned at the bottom of the post, and you will see that was posted 9/21 — for a major conference on 9/25. The list goes on and on.
Asylum attempt follow-up: It looks like the 9 refugees who entered the embassy in Hanoi are getting some serious coverage. They made the New York Times. There appears to be some different policies in effect in South Korea’s embassy in Hanoi versus in other countries in terms of how it handles refugees. Hard to tell if this is coming from above or just another example of a government’s state department & ambassadors not always in sync with its executive branch.
Let me echo alcyone, too. Soon enough, the South Koreans will be saying they did not know. Where have we heard that before?
I still have faith that the tide will turn…i.e. that the Koreans (my ancestors) will (finally)come together on this issue.
S. Korea should try to open embassies in every Chinese border town.
Joshua, I think I asked before in a different place but don’t recall if there was a reply: Are any of the NK human rights groups active in Honolulu? Do they have anything going on in Honolulu? If I were in Seoul I’d be attending these places, even participating to some degree if I could, so while I’m in Hawaii, I wouldn’t mind doing the same.
Forty people, and judging by the photos, overwhelmingly male and middle-aged or elderly. Not a stroller-pushing mom or texting teenager in sight.
Kushibo, Let me send a few e-mails around and see what I can find out.
Mike,
It is not going to happen. The word is “reciprocity”. If South Korea were to set up consulates in every Chinese town that borders DPRK, then the Chinese would have to be given permissions to set up another 20~30 consulates throughout South Korea.
The way I see it, the easiest solution to this would be the South Korean government negotiating with the Chinese government to locate, round up all talbukjas in China and send them all to South Korea. Of course the SK government should pick up the tab.
China is in a delicate situation here. It doesn’t want to risk further agitating and agonizing the DPRK. Maybe China can work with the SK government to pay the DPRK (say $100 for every talbukja China sends to South Korea), this way everyone will be happy.
Now here is a delusion:
How does that advance the ChiCom goal of keeping Korea divided and at least half of it under ChiCom domination? The ChiComs are helping Kim Jong Il enforce his writ. They’d never agree.
Good idea. That would make it easier for South Korea to deport all of those Chinese
studentsrioters, working in apparent collusion with the ChiCom Embassy.Stanton,
You are for real, are you? Talk about being delusional, you should have yourself checked by your PCP ASAP:
If the ChiComs’ only concern is to keep Korea divided, why have they been encouraging the North Koreans to come back to the 6-party talks, even having direct talks and negotiations with the AmeriCons?
And if you were right Stanton that the ChiComs is only interested in keeping Korea forever divided, then I think I am not going too far to suggest that instead of calling for “One Free Korea”, you people should work toward the total annihilation of the ChiComs (and the total annihilation of your housing market). I heard their 60th annivesary is coming up. You have any plans in mind, Stanton? I only hope you won’t be arrested as some sort of AmeriCon terrorist, Stanton.
Haha, interesting -“Seoul invaded by the ugly Chinese”. Great title. The rioters were truly ugly. However those ugly Chinese still have a thing or two to learn from some ugly American GIs whose sole purpose stationing in SK and Japan seemed to be going after the local women. Didn’t some ugly Americans run over some schoolgirls in South Korea a few years ago? Didn’t some ugly Americans pull some rape-and-run stunts in Japan a few years back?
South Korea should certainly deport any foreign criminals (be them ChiCom or AmeriCon) that broke South Korean laws. However deporting all Chinese students will deal a blow to the blooming SK industry of higher education which seeks to attract more foreign students. But I am with you here, why don’t you start a petition to kick all Chinese nationals out of South Korea? I will sure sign it.
Great pictures, thanks.