[imText1]Thirty or so defectors of South Korean citizenship are being held in custody at Yanji police station, indicating the severe response by Chinese authorities over the defector issue.
A source in Yanji informed on the 21st, “Authorities from the areas of Jilian and Yanbian are trying to enforce public order in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I am aware that orders were made from headquarters to enforce public security” and added, “In particular this order focuses on eliminating defector supporters to strengthen security in the North Korea-China border districts.”
China is worried that defectors will try and cause a disturbance during the Beijing Olympics by attempting entry to embassies and consulates. In particular, if such disturbances do occur during the Olympics, China may then be disgraced by North Korea and labeled a human rights oppressing nation and the issue of human rights may spread throughout the nation.
Currently, Chinese Police are strictly regulating defector supporters (so called “brokers”). Behind the scenes of incidents where disturbances arise at embassies and international schools are defector brokers, and hence, the focus has been placed on defector brokers of South Korean citizenship.
They argue that these defectors in China act as the intermediary for contact with South Korea, the U.S. and third world countries, while causing havoc to public security and peace in China.
In order to veto the entry of South Korean defectors to China, criticisms and prohibitions of entry have been made against South Koreans with national registrations from the Ansong district, where “Hanawon” an educational facility for new-defectors is located.
One defector who recently went to China for business was scrutinized meticulously by the airport investigation team because his passport and national registration number indicated he was from the district of Ansong.
Even if you are not a defector, any South Korean national found to be affiliated with defector issues will be dealt with strictly under Chinese national law warn Chinese authorities.
Whenever a defector issue gathers public interest China’s Department of Foreign Affairs reveals, “China’s position remains unchanged. Defector issues will be dealt with according to national, international and humanitarian law.” However, if the incident surpasses quietly, the defector is automatically captured and repatriated back to North Korea.
Money to bail South Koreans out of jail, bailout 5 times more than Chinese brokers
China abuses the bailout payments for South Korean defector brokers. According to one source, “If a South Korean defector broker is captured under the same conditions as a Chinese broker, the bailout is 200,000 Yuan (US$28,000), 5 times more than Chinese brokers at 40,000 Yuan.”
The reason for this is that Chinese government tries to make defector brokers give up their activities to help defectors in China due to their financial problems.
As the bail for defector brokers increase, regulations by police around the regions of the border and Yanji become more noticeable. Chinese authorities are controlling South Korean defectors in order to reap in the bail fines. As a result, people who visit China to meet their North Korean relatives suffer damages even though they are not brokers.
Chinese authorities in plain clothing patrol popular contact locations of brokers such as train stations, coffee houses and saunas, further elevating the craze of catching defectors.
