[imText1]On the 30th, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University cosponsored the “International Symposium on North Korea Human Rights” at which it was determined that above all things “China’s role” will be the most important in solving the issue of defectors in China
North East Asia Project Director Peter Beck of the International Crisis Group made a speech entitled “The issue of defectors in China: Role of NGO” and said “Fundamentally it is North Korea’s responsibility. However in retrospect, China is the key to improving human rights of North Korean refugees and exiles.”
Director Beck said, “Chinese authorities are not only tracing exiles and arresting them, but are apprehending people who have given them help” and “Even if North Korean citizens are not given official refugee status, at the least they must stop forced repatriation.”
Further, he advised, “Rather than having a policy which obstructs defectors from entering China, the policy needs to change to focus on protecting defectors after entry” and “Also, a financial program needs to be offered for these people.”
However ▲ China’s human rights is also disreputable ▲ For now, the focus is on stability from within the country and ▲ Using the reason that China has intimate relations with North Korea, he said “It is hard to anticipate China enforcing a positive policy (for the protection of defectors in North Korea) in the near future.”
Regarding this he said, “China needs to consider that the world will be focused on them in the 2008 Olympics and needs to take the right direction” and urged that to “improve its image” China needs to protect the defectors in the country.
He added, “Until the international community enforces greater pressure, difficult circumstances of North Koreans searching for refuge in China will increase” and “The U.S,, E.U. and Japan needs to step in.”
On a similar note, the director for Good Friends said, “For the protection of North Korean refugees, the Chinese government must stop forced repatriation back to North Korea and either give residency permits to defectors or send them to other third world countries.”
He revealed, “In particular, cases related to slave trade and the violation of human rights of female defectors is more severe” and “The Chinese government needs to offer temporary residency status for these people and bestow citizenship for their children.”
Lee Young Hwan of the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights explained “In 2001, once it was confirmed that China would be the next site for the Olympics, the Chinese peace corps began to call electricity, water and road metermen to hunt down defectors.”
In regards to this, he said “It is important that NGO’s like the International Crisis Group are able to understand the exact circumstance of defectors through investigations and reports.”
