International Protest 2011 Press Release
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2011
The North Korea Freedom Coalition has
slated an international protest to be held around the world to focus on
the plight of North Korean refugees in China on Thursday, September 22,
2011. Because China refuses to allow the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees to help North Korean refugees in China, the
NKFC is calling for protests, demonstrations, prayer vigils, and
petitions to be delivered to the Chinese embassies and consulates
throughout the world at noon, September 22, to call on China to abide by
its international treaty commitments and stop forcing refugees back to
North Korea to face torture, imprisonment and public execution.
The irony of China's actions is that it is causing the North Korean
refugee crisis by absolving Kim Jong-il of any pressure to improve the
conditions in North Korea that cause people to flee the country in the
first place. China's action has further led to the exploitation of
North Korean females: 80% end up being victimized by human traffickers.
"There is no reason for China to continue its inhumane and barbaric
treatment of North Koreans," explained NKFC Chairman, Suzanne Scholte,
"because unlike any refugees in the world today, they can be immediately
resettled as they are citizens of South Korea under the Republic of
Korea's constitution."
Furthermore, over 20,000 have safely been resettled in South Korea and other countries.
"This is a crisis that could be solved overnight if China would simply
follow international law and allow the UNHCR to do their job," Scholte
explained.
The NKFC is calling for the international protest because China has not
responded to repeated requests by the governments of South Korea, the
United States, and other nations to stop the forceful repatriation of
North Korean refugees.
The situation facing the refugees in China continues to deteriorate as
both Chinese and North Korean authorities continue a vicious crack down.
The UN General Assembly designated June 20 as a World Refugee Day and is
marking the day with a new global awareness campaign with the message:
"One Refugee Without Hope is too Many." According to the UN Agency,
"Every day, millions of refugees face murder, rape and terror. We
believe even 1 is too many."
According to North Korean defectors, there are tens of thousands of
North Koreans hiding in China, including many orphans who must live in
hiding with no access to medical care or school.
Just last month China arrested fourteen North Koreans in Yanbian who
were trying to flee North Korea, while nine refugees were able to
successfully get to South Korea by boat this month.