| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| |
Background on North Korea and North Korean Refugees
Since 1995, well over 2 million North Koreans have starved to
death from years of famine, and another 300,000 have fled to
neighboring China in search of food and freedom from tyranny.
The Chinese government has refused to grant these North Koreans
official status as refugees, due largely to Beijing's historical
ties to the communist regime in Pyongyang
 and fears that such a
designation would dramatically boost the already steady influx
over the border. The People’s Republic of China has stepped up
security in and around its borders with North Korea to ensure
the capture and return of refugees, whom it continues to call
“illegal migrants”.
Once refugees are forcefully repatriated from China, they are
regarded by DPRK authorities as traitors of the state and face
intense interrogation. Such interrogation is often followed by
extended detention (often in prison camps), torture of various
kinds, and in extreme cases, summary execution. A growing body
of testimonies by successful escapees describe how repatriated
pregnant women are subject to forced abortion, especially if the
father of their child is Chinese. The border region poses a
special danger for female refugees, where a very high percentage
of them (70-90%) are captured and sold into sexual slavery.
Those arrested for aiding North Korean refugees in China face
severe fines, deportation or prison time.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Wall Street Journal recommends Tim Peters and Helping Hands
Korea for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize! To read the article.
