[imText1]Following the September military coup in Thailand last year, authorities have been strengthening regulations against smuggled defectors and have begun an intensified hunt down for defectors.
An “International Fact-Finding Mission on North Korean Refugees in Thailand” was conducted by Korean and Japanese human rights organizations from Feb 25th to March 1st, which aimed to understand the current situation of North Korean defectors in Thailand. The results were recently released by Vice-President, Song Yoon Bok of Japan’s “Society to Help Returnees to North Korea” and Kim Sang Heon, Chairman for the “Life Funds for North Korean Refugees.”
According to the report, the Thai government has begun enforcing strict control over the border regions and a search for defectors as they believe that public security is being threatened with the sudden rise of illegal defectors. Furthermore, the report found that defectors were being held in custody in harsh conditions, being detained in small cells with numbers exceeding double the capacity limit.
The report claimed that the number of defectors admitted into Thailand through immigration had steadily increased every year and that the figure had already reached 87 as of February. The report stated that overcrowding was an issue to the point that people could not even sleep with their legs stretched out and that “close to 350 refugees are being held in a facility with a maximum capacity of 130.”
In addition, hygiene issues were causing infections and disease particularly in the eyes and skin, and that many defectors were experiencing discomfort as there were limited toilet facilities. Furthermore, the Thai government was only providing meals and no medicine nor other daily necessities.
In the past, the Thai government had offered churches and NGO’s as a form of shelter for defectors, but since the coup d’état, defectors are now seen as law breakers. If anyone helps a defector, they are accused of being a supporter of illegal migrants and are arrested.
Vice-president Song petitioned, “Many defectors are living in custody under extreme harsh conditions as a result of t Thai government’s strict policy… They urgently need the international society’s help in gaining status to enter South Korea or other countries.”
He said, “Defectors are not illegal migrants and need the protection of refugee status. NGO’s must strive to develop a system where defectors can be assisted.”
