China reportedly forcibly repatriated to North Korea...

China reportedly forcibly repatriated to North Korea ten refugees arrested in China whilst attempting to reach South Korea and Japan by boat earlier in January. Defectors said that refugees who are sent home to North Korea to face detention in labor camps and even the death penalty. Since refugees began seeking shelter in diplomatic missions in China in 2002, police have cordoned off embassies and consulates and stepped up repressive measures in the region bordering North Korea. Networks set up to assist refugees have been made virtually inoperative by arrests. There are thought to be 300,000 refugees on the Chinese side of the border. Since September 2002, 3,200 have been repatriated, and 1,200 are awaiting the same fate in detention centres. More than 1,000 defectors entered South Korea through third countries in 2002. Beijing reported that 10,000 North Koreans defected to China in 2000, while non-governmental organizations put the number at 30,000.