Anchor: The UN's independent investigator on human rights in North Korea has raised concerns over escapees from the country. Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana told reporters that they could become refugees “sur place” as they could face torture and other ill treatment if and when repatriated. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: While Washington and Pyongyang as well as Seoul stage a tug of war over the denuclearization of North Korea, a UN rapporteur is urging the international community not to forget the destitute human rights conditions in North Korea. 

Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, held a news conference in New York on Wednesday and shared his concerns over North Korean refugees and their repatriation.

[Sound bite: Tomas Ojea Quintana - Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in N. Korea (English)]
“Sometimes you can become a refugee sur place, which is that you may have crossed the border because of, let’s say, economic reasons or personal reasons, but then once you arrive to the third country and if you are repatriated you may face ill treatment or torture, then you become a refugee sur place; and therefore the principle of non-refoulement applies.”

Quintana argued that China does not see that the international refugee convention applies to North Koreans who cross the Sino-North Korea border.  

[Sound bite: Tomas Ojea Quintana - Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in N. Korea (English)]
“Personal contact with these North Koreans who escape is critically important. It’s crucial, especially [with] those who recently leave the country, those who have not been subject to the system of adaptation in South Korea, and those who have fresh stories about what happens in DPR Korea are very important. [They] are my primary source of information.”

He noted North Korea has been more responsive with the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, accepting 132 of its recommendations, but it remains unclear if the regime is observing the promises.

[Sound bite: Tomas Ojea Quintana - Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in N. Korea (English)]
“The overall very about the human rights agenda from the DPR Korea point of view is that, historically, human rights has been used as a threat to the system. So, it seems that now is time to start changing that perception from the North; that the United Nations human rights agenda is not threatening their system. It’s looking for improvement of the rights of and try to contribute to the improvement of the rights.” 

He stressed that in the meantime those who have committed serious human rights abuses in North Korea must be held accountable.

The UN rapporteur has previously argued that the human rights situation in North Korea should be addressed in denuclearization negotiations with the regime.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : YONHAP News]