9 North Koreans Arrested In Lampang

[george]

9 North Koreans arrested in Lampang

LAMPANG: -- Nine illegal immigrants from North Korea were arrested at the bus terminal in Lampang Sunday night, police said.

Three of them are children and the rest are adults appearing between 20 to 40 years old. They were about to board a bus to Bangkok when they were arrested at 7 pm.

-- The Nation 2009-08-31

[webfact]

Lets hope the Immigration will not deport them back to Stalinist North Korea but the South Korea.

A deportation to the country they obviously have fled (Nkorea) will result in a death sentence by return!

I wish them all the luck they need!

Edited August 31, 2009 by webfact

[yumidesign]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

[Teddy3943]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

You could say this is a way to ask for asylum. What is the Thai policy to asylum seekers?

[Mosha]

There was a BBC programme about these people. I think it's a well used route, and they would have been trying to get to the South Korean embassy in Bangkok.

[TAWP]

There was a BBC programme about these people. I think it's a well used route, and they would have been trying to get to the South Korean embassy in Bangkok.

Indeed. One Asian-American was on The Daily Show recently with his book about working with the underground railroad from NK to BKK, so it is a very specific recognized route.

[jamesjdaly]

What is the Thai policy to asylum seekers?

The more money you have, the quicker you'll get in

[TAWP]

What is the Thai policy to asylum seekers?

The more money you have, the quicker you'll get in

Actually, it is 'the less money you have, the more you get abused'

[broadreach]

They'll probably end up in the immigration detention center and then referred to a third country for asylum. The only question is how long they have to stay in detention before they can leave Thailand.

[jpolten]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

Like mosha i've seen this program too!

Most of them cross the boarder into china then through Laos and into Thailand because the N.korean people know they will be sent back to S.korea

by Thai officials!

You would often see Thai police checking the trains,bus stations for such people asking for PP/ID because the Thai's know its a well traveled route!

Its a well organized operation,and i think those people who try to escape and very brave,knowing what would happen if caught!

[plaaduk]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

Like mosha i've seen this program too!

Most of them cross the boarder into china then through Laos and into Thailand because the N.korean people know they will be sent back to S.korea

by Thai officials!

You would often see Thai police checking the trains,bus stations for such people asking for PP/ID because the Thai's know its a well traveled route!

Its a well organized operation,and i think those people who try to escape and very brave,knowing what would happen if caught!

Wish them luck and pray for them!Anyone would try to do what they did if you are living in North Korea!We have much to be thankful for!

[aussiejosh]

I beleive thailand is one of the goals for those getting out of north korea, as the other countries they pass through will send them to north korea however Thailand I believe and have been told will seek the south korean government to take them, which is what the people want.

[pdavids]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

There is a fairly well established routine for bringing North Korean refugees into Thailand through the north. Police are probably told to keep an eye out - and a group of 9 of them at a bus station would be fairly obvious. Getting arrested is generally part of the plan - they are rarely sent back and most often another country such as the US, Canada, or Australia will accept them.

[aussiejosh]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

There is a fairly well established routine for bringing North Korean refugees into Thailand through the north. Police are probably told to keep an eye out - and a group of 9 of them at a bus station would be fairly obvious. Getting arrested is generally part of the plan - they are rarely sent back and most often another country such as the US, Canada, or Australia will accept them.

Yes, Thailand is the first place it is safe to get caught after that harrowing journey. This is actually good news for the family because unlike Laos and China where they would have been sent back to NK, now they have a chance an excellent chance to find a new home.

[dale8]

Hello, it is good luck that they made it to Thailand. We do not know if they turned themselves in to the authorities, or if they had any money so the Thai government will feed them until they go to another country for a better life than they had.

[samran]

Hello, it is good luck that they made it to Thailand. We do not know if they turned themselves in to the authorities, or if they had any money so the Thai government will feed them until they go to another country for a better life than they had.

If they hand not been arrested they would have turned themselves in once reaching BKK, and waited as the S.Korean government processed their cases and travel documents could be issued.

Although money is the key in surviviing at the IDC, I think most N.Koreans are taken care of by the S.Korean embassy on that front so that they at least don't suffer the same fate as Rohingas....

[Pseacraft]

From what I garnered on the BBC program, any North Koreans who are "caught" in Thailand are temporarily detained and fairly quickly turned over to either the South Korea Embassy or the US Embassy where they are granted automatic immigration rights. They are actually given a choice of which country that they wise to immigrate to. It was a very interesting and sad program. Over a huge insight into the problems these people have to endure.

These 9 are very lucky to have made it accross China and Laos both of whom would repatriate them.

[bobbysan124]

If they were looking for a better life, hope it works out.

[brahmburgers]

what.... they were standing at a country bus station with signs hanging on them saying that they were ilegal immigrants and the imm. police were just there by chance to arrest them..... some information is missing from this story

You could say this is a way to ask for asylum. What is the Thai policy to asylum seekers?

heartening to hear all the supportive posts, and not one denigrating them. It must be an arduous journey - so very far overland, and probably through Shan State Burma also (as mentioned earlier, if they went thru Laos, that would likely get them shunted back to N.Korea if caught). Buena Suerte amigos, especially for the children.