Foreign ministry in hot water over defectors

Members of a North Korea human rights group stage a rally in front of the Laotian Embassy in Seoul, Friday, holding up placards criticizing the Laotian government for sending North Korean defectors back to their homeland earlier this week where they are expected to be punished harshly. / Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han

Clarification issued to rebut reports it didn’t ask Laos for interview

By Chung Min-uck

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday denied an allegation that it did not file a request for an interview with the Laotian government after being informed of nine North Korean defectors detained in Laos.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the South Korean embassy in Laos did not file an official request to visit the defectors, quoting Laotian officials.

In contrast, the North Korean embassy there, on being informed about the detainment simultaneously on May 10, made a swift move to take custody of the defectors, according to the newspaper.

The foreign ministry has come under fire for failing in its duty to protect the North Koreans.

Diplomatic sources say at least one North Korean agent was on board the Air Koryo flight to Pyongyang with the defectors, indicating that the North Korean government was actively involved in the deportation.

The nine defectors, aged between 15 and 23, were repatriated to the North via China Tuesday after being deported by Laos. They are expected to face harsh punishment, including hard labor in political prison camps or even execution.

“Our embassy in Laos knew about the detainment prior to being notified by the Laotian authority on May 10 and informed the central government there,” said a foreign ministry official, refuting the media report. “But the Laotian government told us to wait. Regardless of that, we constantly requested an interview and cooperation by sending notes.”

Sources say that the South Korean ambassador to the Southeast Asian country even held talks with a high-ranking Laotian foreign ministry official on the day of the deportation to prevent the North Koreans being repatriated.

A senior Laotian diplomat in Seoul told Yonhap News Agency Friday by phone that South Korean officials asked the Laotian government for an interview with the defectors.

UN voices concern

U.N. officials voiced concern Thursday over the fate of the nine defectors.

Antonio Guterres, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in a statement, he is “deeply concerned about the safety and fundamental human rights of these individuals if they are returned to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).”

The UNHCR is seeking information on the whereabouts of the nine North Koreans, according to the statement. It is also in contact with authorities in Laos to establish the initial facts behind the incident and to prevent any future deportation of people of concern.

A U.N. human rights investigator also expressed concern over the safety of the repatriated North Koreans.

“I have very real concerns about the penalties and treatment they could face if returned to North Korea,” said Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea, in a separate statement. “All the concerned authorities have an urgent responsibility to ensure their protection.”

The Seoul government earlier asked U.N. human rights groups to help ensure the safety of the defectors. The foreign ministry is also running a task force led by Deputy Minister Lee Kyung-soo to effectively cope with the situation.