Refugees turn to China's own Foreign Ministry
Seven North
Korean defectors on Aug. 26, 2002 attepted to apply for asylum
at the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing. They spread a banner
on which was written "HELP US. Freedom for North Korea."
The moment they unfurled the banner, however, the Chinese authorities
placed them under arrest.
These seven
individuals chose this approach to attract the attention of the
international community. They were fully aware that their bold
move could easily lead to their repatriation to North Korea, which
means automatic imprisonment, and a strong liklihood of summary
execution.
Their situation
is typical of that faced by North Korean refugees.
Their statement
read:
Dear sirs:
We ran away from North Korea to escape the beatings and killings.
People have no freedom and are starving in North Korea. We are
seeking freedom in South Korea We turn to you because the Chinese
police are arresting us.
Please, please help us
The 7 North
Korean refugees are:
Kim Jae-gon
(male, 60)
Kim Jong-nam (male, 36)
Kim Mi-young (female, 37)
Jo Song-hye (female, 27)
An Chol-su (male, 40)
Ko Dae-chang (male, 56)
Kim Hong (female, 29)
The
banner they spread in front of the Chinese Foreign Ministry
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