Protest Against China's Forced Repatriation of North Korean Defectors

 

A Korean organization raised its voice against the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, highlighting the issue of North Korean human rights in the United States. On November 5, 2023, in New York, the Korean group met with key figures in the United States, presenting photos of around 600 victims of forced repatriation and their families.

 

They explained the urgency of adopting a resolution on North Korean human rights in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, explicitly calling on China to take responsibility for forced repatriation.

 

On the morning of November 6, they submitted a petition to James Turpé, Acting Head of the OHCHR (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) in New York. In the afternoon, they held a briefing for representatives of about 50 countries, including Tom Armbruster, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, at the South Korean Mission to the UN, emphasizing violations of the Convention Against Torture.

 

On November 7, they met with Michelle Steel, a U.S. Congresswoman of Korean descent. Representative Steel, emphasizing her own North Korean heritage through her parents, pledged to lead a signature campaign in the U.S. Congress condemning China's forced repatriation of North Korean defectors.

 

Subsequently, they met with Juliet Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, Chris Smith, a U.S. Congressman, and Piero A. Tozzi, Executive Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), receiving commitments to cooperate in urging China to prohibit forced repatriation.

 

They then held a briefing for the Korean community in Washington, addressing the issue of North Korean defectors. They also condemned China's actions in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington through a street press conference.

 

They emphasized compliance with the "Refugee Status Convention" and obligations based on the "Refugee's Right of Asylum," as well as the importance of the "UN Convention Against Torture."

 

BREADTV/ REFORMANDA