A joint committee of the U.S. Congress has recommended to its government that a special task force, aimed at persuading China to stop repatriating North Korean refugees to the Stalinist country, be established.
A report, which was completed on Oct. 31 and was released to the press recently, proposed that the U.S. government form a special body to resolve the ongoing situation, RFA reported Saturday.
The report was prepared by the “Congressional-Executive Commission on China,” which is composed of House lawmakers, senators and ranking government officials.
The team should help the U.N. Refugee watchdog to have free access to the North Korean refugees, the report said.
To accomplish such a goal, it said certain “incentives” should be explored with China to give up its repatriation policy and eventually develop a strategy to root out the Chinese policy.
China regards North Korean refugees as “illegal economic migrants,” not as refugees.
The report proposed a funding to be used by Beijing in its drafting a relevant legal framework that can eventually grant a refugee status to the North Koreans.
China recently raised fines for Chinese nationals who provided a shelter for North Koreans, which has now increased to $1,150 to $1,445, the report said.
North Korea also stepped up its border security along China. It also raised the salary for the border police to prevent them from accepting bribes from North Korean refugees and give them a passage to China.
The commission has House members of Sander Levin, Michael Honda, Edward Royce, and Senate members of Chuck Hagel, Sam Brownback as well as five ranking executive officials, including Christopher Hill.