Up to 600 North Korean refugees have reportedly "vanished" after being forcibly repatriated from China back to North Korea, where they likely face severe punishment.
The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), based in Seoul, South Korea, highlighted this alarming situation, underscoring the likelihood of imprisonment and abuse at the hands of North Korean authorities, as per NBC News.
China Deports North Korean Refugees in Record Numbers
TOPSHOT - This photo taken on September 22, 2023 shows a general view of the flags of China and North Korea near the Yalu River, on the border between the North Korean town of Sinuiju and the city of Dandong, in China's northeastern Liaoning province. Stranded North Korean workers and merchants who rely on cross-border trade see scant signs that the frontier with China will reopen soon, despite recent trips abroad by leader Kim Jong Un and the country's athletes. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP) / To go with "China-NKorea-diplomacy-health-trade-virus-labour."
These repatriations, which occurred in October, represent the largest mass deportation of North Korean refugees in recent years. Human rights activists and family members of the deportees have raised alarms about the high risk of torture, forced labor, and even execution that these individuals may face upon their return. They have called on international powers, including the United States, to pressure Beijing to cease this practice.
The TJWG and Global Rights Compliance, a human rights law firm, released a report detailing the deportations and the desperate need for more protection for these refugees. The report also notes that over 70 percent of the deportees are estimated to be women.
Notably, both the North Korean and Chinese governments have remained silent on the issue, neither confirming nor denying any knowledge of the mass deportation.
Under international law, notably the UN Refugee Convention of 1951, nations are urged not to return refugees to their countries of origin if they face the risk of persecution - a principle known as "non-refoulement." Despite this, a 2013 United Nations report found that most North Koreans repatriated from China have faced harsh conditions and severe punishment.
Among those deported was Kim Cheol Ok, a North Korean woman who fled to China during a severe famine in 1998. Her sister, Kyu Li, a refugee herself, expressed her concerns and highlighted the exploitative conditions North Korean women face in China due to their undocumented status, according to Newsweek.
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More North Korean Refugees Face Deportation from China
The TJWG has expressed fears that an additional 1,100 North Korean refugees currently held in Chinese detention centers could be deported at any moment. Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a legal analyst for the NGO, shared insights into the intelligence gathered on these deportations, including the tracking of detainees across North Korean detention centers.
The report raises serious concerns about the fate of these individuals, who, like thousands before them, are likely to face harsh treatment by the North Korean regime. This situation underscores the regime's efforts to block citizens' access to the outside world and punish those who attempt to leave.
Global Rights Compliance partner Catriona Murdoch emphasized the responsibility of the international community to end China's repatriation practices and the need for significant international pressure to prompt Beijing to change its course.
The disappearance of these refugees highlights a grave human rights issue, with fears mounting that many more North Koreans could vanish into the abyss upon forced return to their homeland. Human rights organizations, including the TJWG and Global Rights Compliance, are calling on international powers to intervene and prevent further human rights violations, The Sun reported.
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