Thailand has no plan to treat NKoreans as refugees
Source: 03-OCT-2008 Intellasia | Signonsandiego
Oct 3, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM Thailand has no plans to treat North Koreans fleeing their country as political refugees, the Thai Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, rejecting an idea reportedly suggested by South Korea's president.

A lawmaker from South Korea's ruling Grand National Party said Tuesday in Seoul that President Lee Myung-bak has proposed refugee camps be set up in other countries including Thailand for the growing number of North Koreans fleeing the Stalinist regime.

Thailand currently keeps fleeing North Koreans in police detention facilities along with other illegal immigrants from all countries.

Thailand "has not had any agreement or cooperation with (South Korea) regarding the establishment of refugee centres in Thailand," Thai foreign ministry spokesman Voradet Viravakin said in a statement. All North Koreans entering the country illegally will continue to be treated according to Thai law governing illegal immigrants, he said.

Under international treaties, illegal immigrants are allowed to be sent back to their own countries, but people with a legitimate fear of being persecuted in their homelands are not supposed to be repatriated.

Some 100 North Korean refugees currently are waiting in a Bangkok detention centre for the chance to fly to Seoul or the United States, which began accepting North Korean refugees under a 2004 law.

Thailand does not publicise the ultimate destination of the refugees who arrive here, but none are known to have been sent back to North Korea.

Thousands of people have fled North Korea in recent years, citing hunger and harsh political oppression. Many have escaped through a long and risky land journey through China to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries on their way to asylum. Most end up in South Korea, which now is home to nearly 14,000 North Korean defectors.