China Urged to Stop Repatriation of NK Defectors

North Korean refugees are living in fear and destitution in China due to the Beijing government's crackdown on them and their unstable status. Many have escaped from the brutal rule of the North's Stalinist regime and its economic failure. They have crossed the border seeking freedom and food. But they often face an even starker reality in China. There they are at risk of forced repatriation or human trafficking. A large number of them suffer from labor and sexual exploitation.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) at home and abroad have repeatedly called on Beijing to grant refugee status to North Korean defectors living in China. However, the Chinese government has turned a deaf ear to such calls. It is regrettable that China sill clings to its policy of sending back North Korean refugees to the world's last Stalinist regime without paying attention to their fate after repatriation. Many returned defectors are feared to be subject to severe persecution. According to media reports, not a few have been sent to concentration camps.

Against this backdrop, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday urging the Chinese authorities to immediately stop the forcible repatriation of North Korean refugees and help them seek asylum. We welcome the resolution as it can serve as a turning point in the refugee issue. And we hope the U.S. Congress will soon endorse the resolution to help protect the human rights of North Korean defectors. The resolution calls on Beijing to honor its obligations under the U.N. convention on the status of refugees.

The resolution is aimed at halting the forced repatriation of North Koreans, who may face persecution if they are returned. It also demands Chinese authorities to give the U.N. high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) full access to North Korean defectors to determine their status and degree of necessary assistance. The resolution, if adopted by U.S. Congress, is expected to send a wakeup call to the international community on the seriousness of the refugee problem.

It is impossible to find a quick fix to the issue without China changing its policy toward North Korean refugees. The country is sending back arrested defectors and cracking down on those trying to help them escape. The Chinese government seems to be concerned that the massive influx of refugees from the neighboring country would pose a threat to its border security as well as law and order. Beijing also does not want to be thrown into a diplomatic row with Pyongyang by providing shelter for North Korean refugees.

Some human rights activists are expressing concerns that China might round up more and more North Korea defectors and return them home ahead of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. We sincerely hope that this is not carried out. Seoul has taken a lukewarm attitude toward the refugee issue in a move to avoid any diplomatic dispute with Beijing. Government officials must make efforts to persuade China to protect those fleeing the impoverished North. They should not forget that North Koreans continue to cross the border with China, go into hiding there and desperately seek a way to reach South Korea and other destinations for resettlement.