US missionary arrested for smuggling North Koreans into Thailand

[casualbiker]

Looping through Thailand is a usual route for escapees from North Korea who're headed to South Korea.

In the past, the Thai authorities left them alone, as Thailand was an anticommunist bulwark and partner in the US in its strategy of containment.

The fact that this arrest was made and publicized is intended to serve the triple purpose of telling the U.S. that two can play the 'human trafficking' game; to please the North Korean regime, to which Thailand is at least nominally snuggling up as a fellow 'outcast' regime and again, to stick a thumb into the eye of the U.S. vis-a-vis 'democracy' and 'human rights' criticism'; and thirdly, to please the Chinese, who still find North Korea a useful (if extremely vexing) foil against the U.S. and its allies.

In particular, arresting a U.S. citizen in Thailand for 'human trafficking' (Korean-American though he may be) is a very pointed message.

And the US will/can reply in a thousand ways with pointed messages if it wanted. I however expect the answer to come through the mass media, which will show the Thai government for what it is. The Thais are coming to a gun battle armed with a needle.

Did he break the law. Yes!

Did he get caught. Yes!

So therefore he gets arrested, it's generally what happens when you break the law!

If this was the Mexican/US border and the group were a family running from the cartels would it be illegal to enter the US without the correct paperwork. Off course it would be!

For those that say Thailand is a loop for North Koreans getting to South Korea a question. How?

Your arrogance / ignorance is despicable in this case. Laos and China view escapees from N Korea as economic migrants in spite of the fact that the N Korean constitution punishes people who leave without permission (all escapees) as traitors. The punishments for treason range from hard labor in the gulags to execution by firing squad,

Thailand does the honorable thing and allows them safe passage to south korea once they are processed by the S Korean embassy here. Any middle men / women who help these people reach safety of Thailand, and ultimately S Korea are saints frankly.

Hope that enlightens you somewhat

Oh enlightened one. My comments were not about the North Koreans. They were about the guy that smuggled them into Thailand. He broke the law, end of story. He probably will just get a slap on the wrist and asked to leave. But he still broke Thailand's immigration laws!

[casualbiker]

Trafficking implies "exploitation". Although technically entering the country illegally is there, it's being done for humanitarian purposes

You are correct, this is not a case of human trafficking which requires the movement and exploitation of a person against their will using force, trickery, deceit etc.

It is a case of human smuggling (smuggling of persons) a very different offense. Much less serious under international law.

Unfortunately, the police don't even know the difference.

The OP never mentions trafficking it actually mentions smuggling. So we can presume that in fact they do know the difference!

[halloween]

If this guy was a Moroccan helping Sudanese immigrants, very willing to go, into Italy, and intending to move on to the UK, you would want him hanged by the balls. But because this instance pushes all your emotional buttons just right, you want to overlook the crime he committed.

[chrisinth]

Well I guess it can be technically speaking trafficking if that is what RTP wants to charge him with, but don't start thinking that arresting a guy who helps North Koreans get to South Korea is the same as targeting the refugee death camps in the South, fishing slaves or the trafficking of poor girls to brothels in e.g. China.

I hope the South Korean embassy grants them entrance.

There are no two ways about it, it would be classed as trafficking regardless of the reasons.

Always surprising when something the public see as humanitarian, in this case getting people out of North Korea to united with people in the South, should be classed as something different even though it has checked all the boxes for the crime of trafficking.

One man's freedom fighter, another man's terrorist springs to mind..........................

[John Kane]

This topic and its comments are great evidence of ambivalence regrading trafficking. If someone helps a North Korean cross a border, that is good. If someone helps other kinds of refugees, that is bad. Very confusing. For me this is further evidence that forcing developing countries like Thailand to accept and enforce new trafficking laws is really about controlling movement of people - just like visas and fences - for the benefit of wealthy countries. In another 20-30 years large swaths of Africa, SoEast Asia, and most poorer countries might look like giant refugee camps. Quasi-slave like conditions, where families are feed in exchange for work, might be a desirable way of life. Help from criminals might be the only way most people can hope to cross a border. Do you disagree? What is your extrapolation into the future?

[canuckamuck]

The missionary is a hero but he will have to pay for his bravery. Hopefully he will get some assistance with his case.

[chrisinth]

Trafficking implies "exploitation". Although technically entering the country illegally is there, it's being done for humanitarian purposes

You are correct, this is not a case of human trafficking which requires the movement and exploitation of a person against their will using force, trickery, deceit etc.

It is a case of human smuggling (smuggling of persons) a very different offense. Much less serious under international law.

Unfortunately, the police don't even know the difference.

I would be interested in seeing the difference in law between human smuggling and trafficking.

Seriously, i have no idea about how this is defined in international law.

[halloween]

This topic and its comments are great evidence of ambivalence regrading trafficking. If someone helps a North Korean cross a border, that is good. If someone helps other kinds of refugees, that is bad. Very confusing. For me this is further evidence that forcing developing countries like Thailand to accept and enforce new trafficking laws is really about controlling movement of people - just like visas and fences - for the benefit of wealthy countries. In another 20-30 years large swaths of Africa, SoEast Asia, and most poorer countries might look like giant refugee camps. Quasi-slave like conditions, where families are feed in exchange for work, might be a desirable way of life. Help from criminals might be the only way most people can hope to cross a border. Do you disagree? What is your extrapolation into the future?

My answer is that if borders and visas aren't enforced, and enforced HARD, the people in poor countries, instead of attempting to improve their own society, will pour all the wealth and effort into moving somewhere better. Where better means they can get the benefit of other people's work.

For all the rights you grant to migrants, the residents of more desirable countries have just as many, if not more. They don't want to see their cities resemble Dhaka, they don't want millions of poor, ignorant and diseased people swamping the services their city provides, and they don't want their cultures challenged by those with completely different values and beliefs.

[kingstonkid]

I think the main and only reason that this guy got caught was that he was American. IMNSHO I think that the Obama run PC government has done more in 8 years to ruin Asian connections than it has done anything positive.

This is a case where an American Report about trafficking ( as if it is not happening in the US at the southern Border) along with all the other rules and comments against what is happening in Asia has or is driving countries to start looking at Russia and China for assistance and friendship.

Governments are no longer realizing that they have to play nice with the US as they can get good if not better relations with other countries.

[Lorraine678356]

I think the main and only reason that this guy got caught was that he was American. IMNSHO I think that the Obama run PC government has done more in 8 years to ruin Asian connections than it has done anything positive.

This is a case where an American Report about trafficking ( as if it is not happening in the US at the southern Border) along with all the other rules and comments against what is happening in Asia has or is driving countries to start looking at Russia and China for assistance and friendship.

Governments are no longer realizing that they have to play nice with the US as they can get good if not better relations with other countries.

Could not have said that any better.

You get tired of hanging around the bullies at school after a while, and you learn to grow up.

Bullies will realize one day they have no friends.

[soalbundy]

How in hell do we know this is all true? Could be staged.

Yeah, right, like the moon landings, 9/11, Obamah's birth certificate and area 51.

[Lorraine678356]

How in hell do we know this is all true? Could be staged.

Yeah, right, like the moon landings, 9/11, Obamah's birth certificate and area 51.

Mmm, good point, I always wondered about those things.

[Tony121]

The Rohingya are fleeing a far worse situation than the north koreans they are being killed and driven out of land that there families have lived on for generations in Burma, most of them are using Thailand as a transit point to get to Malaysia, so no different than this situation.

[springheeled jack]

I think that the best plan would be to allow them to stay until they can get access to south korea .

[freedom4life]

Korean-American? <deleted> does that mean? Deport him to N.Korea...they'll deal with him.

[NCFC]

The Rohingya are fleeing a far worse situation than the north koreans they are being killed and driven out of land that there families have lived on for generations in Burma, most of them are using Thailand as a transit point to get to Malaysia, so no different than this situation.

Very different situation. The Koreans are trying to get to....Korea. The southern half. Where many have family already and are welcomed in by the country.