China Sent 30 NK Defectors Back to North Korea

The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported that the Chinese government forcefully sent 30 North Korean defectors back to North Korea. The Chinese authority at Yantai port, Shandong district in China, had arrested the North Korean defectors while trying to leave China at the port by ships last January.

In addition, the Japanese newspaper said that the Chinese prosecution indicted three officials with a South Korean NGO on charges of helping North Korean defectors to illegally cross the border between China and North Korea.

Those North Korean defectors were arrested by the Chinese law enforcement agency on January 18 when they were about to board two ships, one bounded for South Korea, and the other for Japan. Among those arrestees, 30 North Korean defectors were sent back to North Korean on January 25-30.

This story of North Korean defectors sent back to their home country was unveiled after a North Korean defector, who avoided nearly being sent back to North Korea, had sent a letter containing the story to a Japanese NGO.

It has been reported that a Korean woman resident in Japan and her daughter were included among those North Korean defectors sent back to North Korea by the Chinese government.

Non-governmental groups of South Korea and Japan are planning to file a protest against the Chinese government through UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Although those North Korean defectors have not been identified yet, I have been heard of the news,” said Chun Ki-won, a preacher at a South Korean Christian missionary. The South Korean preacher criticized the Chinese government for what it has done by saying, “News on those North Korean defectors was reported through the media, and so the Chinese government might have been well aware that if those defectors were sent back to North Korea, they would be killed. It is deplorable for the Chinese government to what it has done to those defectors. Although the Chinese government is defending itself by saying that it dealt with the matter according to its domestic law, but it violated an international law.”

Do Yoon-hee, secretary general of a South Korean Christian group for North Korean defectors` rights, said, “I have been heard from some North Koreans who have hid themselves someplace in China after they failed to escape from china with those North Koreans sent back to the North that some North Korean defectors arrested by Chinese police agency would be handed over to the North.”

parkwj@donga.com esprit@donga.com