The South Korean government is seeking help from UN human rights agencies to ensure the safety of nine North Korean escapees recently repatriated to the North from China.

A government official said Thursday that Seoul reached out to the UN Refugee Agency and other related UN organizations concerning the young escapees’ situation. The group was recently forcibly sent back to North Korea from China following their deportation from Laos.

Through diplomatic channels, the government held contacts with senior officials of the UN Refugee Agency and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to discuss the repatriation issue.

During the talks, South Korean government officials stressed that the forced repatriation of North Korean escapees is an inhumane act that goes against the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees among other international laws.

The officials also raised concerns that the nine North Koreans are at the risk of facing severe punishment in the communist state.

Related UN agencies are said to have plans to devise response measures after getting additional information on the situation.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, through a statement on Thursday local time, urged North Korea to guarantee the safety of the escapees and not to punish them.