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The vast majority of North Koreans who cross the border to China do so simply to survive. Criminalizing the act of leaving one’s own country and harshly punishing those repatriated are flagrant violations of a fundamental right – the right to leave one’s own country. Such a violation is all the more egregious as many of the North Koreans cross the border to escape persecution or because the North Korean authorities are either unable or unwilling to feed their own people, despite their stated claims to provide all citizens with adequate food.
- Allow North Korean citizens to travel freely in and out of the country, especially if they are doing so in order to avoid starvation.
- Stop punishing North Koreans who are repatriated.
- Stop mistreatment of criminal suspects and prisoners.
- Allow access for international human rights monitors to assess the humanitarian and human rights conditions in the country.
- Allow aid donors to monitor aid distribution at an internationally acceptable level and frequency, as employed by the World Food Programme.
- Stop arresting and repatriating North Koreans.
- Allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) unfettered access to the border area and throughout northeastern China to determine the status of North Koreans, and to facilitate the resettlement in third countries of those granted refugee status.
- Grant North Korean women married to Chinese men legal resident status.
- Resume food aid to the most vulnerable population in North Korea, including young children, pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly.
- While doing so, insist on being allowed to carry out an internationally acceptable level and frequency of monitoring of aid distribution, to make sure the food reaches the intended beneficiaries.
- Continue to press the Chinese authorities to allow humanitarian aid workers along the border with North Korea to assist those in need.
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