North Koreans ~ Terror on the Run in China 2007.09.11 ABC

Reporter: Stephen McDonell ABC Australia


While North Korea and the United States are making progress on the issue of nuclear weaponry and nuclear energy, life remains a desperate struggle for most North Koreans.


They’ve suffered years of deprivation, famine and tyrannical rule. The latest disaster was the worst flooding in 30 years. International aid agencies have warned of food shortages.

Its little wonder many North Koreans flee the country, if they can. But in China, life for North Korean escapers is often another, Orwellian sinkhole.

But reporter Stephen McDonell discovers that making it across the river is no guarantee of freedom and a better life.

He goes underground in Yanbian to meet some of the refugees and those trying to protect them from Chinese authorities.

“I’m always in hiding…..I thought if I came to China life would be better, but I was wrong” one refugee admits to McDonell.

Women particularly find themselves in a perilous position and often fall into the hands of human traffickers and end up being sold as “brides” or forced into prostitution.

Without Chinese language skills most refugees remain at risk of being discovered by the Chinese police. If that happens they are detained, classed as economic migrants and sent back to North Korea to almost certain death. The UN Refugee agency is given no access to them.

Christian activist Tim Peters says ‘These North Koreans are being sent back by the hundreds and some of them are being killed and many being tortured and some of them get thrown into prison and the key is thrown away.