PRESS RELEASE FROM JUBILEE CAMPAIGN U.K

DECEMBER 9TH 2002

UNHCR FAILS TO PROTECT NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES

Jubilee Campaign U.K is lobbying British Parliamentarians to take action on behalf of North Korean refugees in China, calling on them to raise urgent concerns with the Chinese and British governments. Jubilee’s U.S branch, Jubilee Campaign U.S.A, held a protest rally in front of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Washington D.C on December 4th 2002. At the rally Jubilee U.S.A called on the Chinese government to end its forced repatriation of North Korean refugees and accused the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) of abandoning its mandate.

The Chinese government currently maintains a policy of forcible repatriation. They even offer bounties on North Korean refugees and those who assist them. In every case, those forcibly sent back to North Korea potentially face a prison sentence or even execution, especially if they have had any contact with foreign aid workers or have converted to Christianity.

The Chinese policy of forced repatriation also creates a climate of lawlessness whereby North Korean refugees are exploited or blackmailed and many of the refugee women have been trafficked for sexual purposes. They are unable or unwilling to report these abuses for fear of being repatriated.

Under international law, the UNHCR was created to protect all refugees including those fleeing famine as is the case with the North Korean refugees. But to date the UNHCR has done nothing to help the estimated 300,000 North Korean refugees hiding in northern China. The recently published UNHCR Annual Statistical Yearbook does not even acknowledge their existence. None of the UNHCR’s budget goes towards assisting North Korean refugees.

UNHCR has claimed that they cannot help the North Korean refugees without China’s permission, despite the fact that about seven years ago the UNHCR and China entered into an enforceable bilateral treaty. The bilateral treaty, signed by the UNHCR and China, states that UNHCR has the right to unimpeded access to refugees in China at all times. The treaty also contains a dispute resolution mechanism whereby the UNHCR could enforce the treaty via binding arbitration. Yet, though the Chinese government categorically denies UNHCR access to North Korean refugees, in clear violation of their treaty, the UNHCR refuses to implement the enforcement mechanism.

Jubilee Campaign believes that the UNHCR has abdicated its duty and responsibility towards North Korean refugees. Jubilee Campaign is lobbying the British and U.S governments which are donors to UNHCR, calling on them to pressure the UNHCR to protect North Korean refugees in China. Donor nations have the right to designate or earmark part of their funds to UNHCR for particular projects. Jubilee Campaign is calling on the British and U.S governments to force the UNHCR to act by designating some of their donations to this U.N agency specifically for North Korean refugees in China.

Wilfred Wong, Jubilee Campaign U.K’s Parliamentary Officer, says, ” With hundreds of thousands of North Korean refugees in China, it is appalling that the UNHCR is not doing much more to protect them from forced repatriation, which is a clear violation of international law. The UNHCR must seek to enforce their bilateral treaty with China and donor governments to this UN agency such as Britain and the United States have a key role in pressuring it to protect the North Korean refugees.”

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Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights organisation which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians in campaigning on human rights issues all over the world.