Seven North Korean Women Arrested In Nong Khai

[george]

North Korea women arrested in Nong Khai

NONG KHAI: -- Seven North Korean women were arrested in northeastern Nong Khai province on Monday for sneaking across the border to the Kingdom, police said.

The group managed to cross the border from neighbouring Laos, where is across the Mekong River opposite to the province, and turned themselves to immigration office.

They cannot communicate with local official but handed out a piece of paper saying that they travelled from North Korea via China and Laos to seek refuge in accordance with the provision of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee. They urged for humanitarian assistance from Thai authorities.

Nong Khai police chief Pol. Maj. General Yuthana Palanitisena said the seven women at their age between 20 up to 37 years old apparently came from North Korea but police could not obtain their personal detail due to broken communication.

Police briefly detained them for illegal entry in accordance with immigration law before a prosecution at the provincial court which fined them Bt 1,000 each.

Tomo Haru Edihara, a Japanese language teacher at Chiang Mai-based Payap University lend his hand to help translate before a group of representatives of nongovernment organisation (NGOs) paid the finefee for them and coordinated to have contact with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The NGOs said the North Korean women should not be detained as illegal entry as they are asylum seekers who came to process their refuge with the UN.

Pol Maj General Yuthaya said the police needed to perform their duty to maintain law and order and Thai police has no idea about situation in North Korea and motive of the migrants.

--The Nation 2006-09-18