Burma Sends 19 North Koreans to Thailand

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia


NAYPYIDAW, Burma
– 19 North Koreans that were arrested in Burma for trying to defect to South Korea through Burma and Thailand were released by Burmese authorities.  Of the group, 15 were women and there was one seven-year-old boy. Instead of being jailed or deported back to North Korea, the refugees are now in detained in Thailand.

On December 2, 2008, Burmese authorities detained 19 North Koreans refugees near the Thai border for illegal entry.  Initially, Burma was going to try the North Korean refugees who can face up to three years in jail for illegal entry. However, refugee sympathizers and NGOs pressured the Burmese government to release the North Korean refugees and not to send them back to North Korea.

Burmese officials offered no comment on this issue. Burma has been trying to renovate strained ties with North Korea that was restored in 2007.

A Thai immigration official told Korea Times that the North Korean refugees surrendered to Thai authorities right away and said, “They were asking for political asylum in South Korea.”

He continued, “The South Korean embassy in Bangkok would have to notify us that their asylum applications were accepted, and then there must be an NGO group to give these refugees further assistance to reach their goal.”

Thailand does not formally recognize asylum seekers as refugees. However, Thai officials turnover many asylum seekers to NGOs and refugees groups that help asylum seekers settle in another country.

Thousands of North Koreans have fled North Korea due to property and political oppression.  Many of these refugees travel through China or Southeast Asia before seeking asylum in South Korea. South Korea is currently home to about 14,000 North Korean defectors.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Burma Frees North Korean Refugees – 1 January 2009

Irrawaddy –19 North Koreans Arrested at Thai-Burmese Border – 22 December 2008

Korea Times – Burma Sends 19 North Koreans to Thailand – 4 January 2009

Author: Impunity Watch Archive