Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) honored World Human Rights Day on December 10th by hosting an international conference: “The Reality of North Korean Human Rights Violation: China’s Repatriation of
North Korean Defectors.” Hosted by the embassy of the Netherlands and featuring
a selection of human rights leaders and experts, as well as victims, the event sought to shed light on human rights violations, with a focus on China’s repatriation
of North Korean defectors living there after crossing the Sino-North Korean border.
There were also first-hand accounts of suffering. Lee, who was repatriated
from China in 2003, shared news of the harrowing human rights violations
she and those around her suffered at the time. She recalled how women were ordered to remove
their clothes, perform stand-and-sit positions hundreds of times, or just sit still
with their legs wide open. “[The North Korean guards] were ruthless,” she
remembered. “We could not confront them, though; we could only bear with it.”
NKDB Researcher Park Seong Chul and Chief Director of
North Korean Human Rights Archives Yoon Yeo Sang built on the tales of human distress, presenting statistical evidence
of the scale of human rights violations and noting that even Chinese detention
facilities have been linked to torture, forced abortion, and sexual harassment.
“The international community should raise the issue of
North Korean human rights, highlighting the role of the Chinese government,”
Yoon said, explaining that almost 20% of all human rights violations against
North Koreans occur in China, according to NKDB interviews with 300 defectors.
Most defectors are still dealing with the psychological and physical
after-effects of their distressing experiences, he pointed out, adding, “The
Chinese government ought to cease repatriation of North Koreans and observe
universal human rights.”
Daily NK President Park In Ho agreed, reminding the audience, “Most defectors use China as a transition route to get to South
Korea or a third country, but China sees them as economic migrants. The Chinese
government ought to reconsider their perception of North Korean defectors.”
More than 80% of defectors residing in China desire to come to South Korea,
according to NKDB research.
Finally, lawmaker Son Hyun Jin called for greater attention
to be paid to the situation for the women and children who form the majority of
deportees from China. Children born to North Korean women and Chinese men are
among a group living in a grey area, receiving scant attention or legal
support. He urged the implementation of due procedure and the right of the
refugees to defend themselves.
Despite the weight of the topic, there were no representatives from the Ministry of
Justice at the conference, causing attendees to wonder whether the South Korean
government harbors sufficient will to change the current situation.
Joanna Hosaniak of Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean
Human Rights alleged, “The majority of people trying to drive this human rights
movement are foreigners. The international community is more interested in
North Korean human rights.”
“The Netherlands has shown an interest, but not the
South Korean government,” Dr. Lee Hye Kyung agreed.
