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UN human rights experts on Wednesday expressed concern that many Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nationals forcibly returned from China remain unaccounted for, warning that they may face enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture, and other human rights violations.
China resumed large-scale forcible returns of DPKR nationals in 2023 following the reopening of the border after the COVID-19 pandemic. The experts warned that reports of punishment imposed on returned DPRK nationals raise concerns under the principle of non-refoulement, codified in Article 33(1) of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits states from returning individuals to countries where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations.
The concerns follow previous findings that North Korean escapees repatriated after capture by state authorities subsequently disappear. With their whereabouts unknown, “returnees are deprived of essential safeguards against enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, execution, torture, forced labour, sexual and gender-based violence and other serious human rights violations,” the experts said.
Recent research from the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) also documented cooperation between Chinese and North Korean authorities in border enforcement. It found that officials from public security, internal affairs, state security, and military organs of both countries operate under a formal system established through successive bilateral agreements dating back to the 1950s.
The report found that Chinese authorities systematically fail to conduct Refugee Status Determination procedures, instead uniformly classifying North Korean escapees as “illegal economic migrants” and not affording the opportunity to have that status reviewed. A companion study detailed how China uses biometric registration and digital surveillance systems to track and control escapees remaining in China, increasing the likelihood of detection.
In 2023, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that more than 500 North Korean escapees were repatriated by Chinese authorities, an increase from its July 2021 finding, which documented the forced return of 50 North Koreans. In a letter addressing the situation of North Korean women and girls, the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) noted that they were forced into marriages and remained vulnerable to trafficking, often living in fear of being returned to North Korea. TJWG has previously submitted a petition to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to campaign for the rights of Kim Cheol-Ok, who was deported to North Korea despite having lived in China for 25 years, arguing that she was deprived of her right to due process.
The UN experts called on Chinese authorities to respect the principle of non-refoulement and ensure procedures to assess international protection needs. They called on China to refrain from returning DPRK nationals to situations where they face a risk of human rights violations, and urged the DPRK to disclose the fate and whereabouts of those already returned.
The post UN experts warn of human rights violations facing North Koreans forcibly repatriated from China appeared first on JURIST - News.
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China resumed large-scale forcible returns of DPKR nationals in 2023 following the reopening of the border after the COVID-19 pandemic. The experts warned that reports of punishment imposed on returned DPRK nationals raise concerns under the principle of non-refoulement, codified in Article 33(1) of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits states from returning individuals to countries where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations.
The concerns follow previous findings that North Korean escapees repatriated after capture by state authorities subsequently disappear. With their whereabouts unknown, “returnees are deprived of essential safeguards against enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, execution, torture, forced labour, sexual and gender-based violence and other serious human rights violations,” the experts said.
Recent research from the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) also documented cooperation between Chinese and North Korean authorities in border enforcement. It found that officials from public security, internal affairs, state security, and military organs of both countries operate under a formal system established through successive bilateral agreements dating back to the 1950s.
The report found that Chinese authorities systematically fail to conduct Refugee Status Determination procedures, instead uniformly classifying North Korean escapees as “illegal economic migrants” and not affording the opportunity to have that status reviewed. A companion study detailed how China uses biometric registration and digital surveillance systems to track and control escapees remaining in China, increasing the likelihood of detection.
In 2023, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that more than 500 North Korean escapees were repatriated by Chinese authorities, an increase from its July 2021 finding, which documented the forced return of 50 North Koreans. In a letter addressing the situation of North Korean women and girls, the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) noted that they were forced into marriages and remained vulnerable to trafficking, often living in fear of being returned to North Korea. TJWG has previously submitted a petition to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to campaign for the rights of Kim Cheol-Ok, who was deported to North Korea despite having lived in China for 25 years, arguing that she was deprived of her right to due process.
The UN experts called on Chinese authorities to respect the principle of non-refoulement and ensure procedures to assess international protection needs. They called on China to refrain from returning DPRK nationals to situations where they face a risk of human rights violations, and urged the DPRK to disclose the fate and whereabouts of those already returned.
The post UN experts warn of human rights violations facing North Koreans forcibly repatriated from China appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.