Amnesty International at Dickinson School of Law: Information on North Korean Refugees

NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES

At our last meeting (on March 28, 2006) Juneyong Hahm, our newly elected Treasurer for next year gave a presentation on the plight of North Koreans, human rights abuses in the country, and their status as refugees in neighboring countries. Here is some pertinent information and relevant links.

URGENT ACTION ALERT

1. 8,000 – 10,000 North Koreans risk their lives by crossing the Tumen River into

China

each year.

2. Once they arrive, most seek shelter and work and send food and money to families in North Korea. Other flee to China to neighboring counties. All must evade Chinese authorities, all are considered refugees under international law.

3. Many flee to foreign diplomatic compounds or trek to neighboring countries such as Vietnam with the help of NGO’s and Christians. Those refugees who interact with South Koreans or Christians, if repatriated, can be treated more harshly and may even be executed by North Korean authorities.

4. Those that make it, register with the UNHCR for refugee status or seek permission to travel directly from the foreign government.

5. 70% of defectors are repatriated back to North Korea to face harsh prisons, torture, and even execution. Most of the remaining outside of China arrive in South Korea.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Take a few minutes to write a letter of appeal on behalf of oppressed North Koreans.

- Write to North Korea and urge them to permit its refugees to live in China and Russia. Request that they allow independent monitoring of foreign aid distribution.

- Write to President Bush and Congress, suggesting that the US should require independent monitoring of foreign aid distribution in NK. Urge that the US NOT remove NK from State Department’s terrorist like until NK returns kidnapped victims from Japan and SK. Urge that we NOT normalize relations with NK until NK abolishes its concentration camps. Request that we push China and Russia to grant NK refugees political asylum status.