United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana urges China not to repatriate North Korean escapees as they face severe punishment.
At least 30, if not more, North Korean escapees have been rounded up in raids across China since mid-April, families and activist groups told Reuters this month, in what activists have called a “severe” crackdown. “Information suggests China may have recently strengthened the search for North Korean escapees in collaboration with the government of North Korea,” said Tomas Ojea Quintana, a UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea.
Escapees may face particularly severe punishment, including being sent to political prison camps, if they intended to defect to South Korea or if they were helped by Christian groups, he added.North Korean officials have adopted “failing economic and agricultural policies,” including central rationing systems plagued by shortcomings and discriminatory allocation, he said.