GENEVA / HRC SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR DPRK

In an interview with the Special Rapporteur to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Marzuki Darusman said that there has been a rise of people fleeing the country seeking asylum in neighbouring countries and expressed concern about rising incidents of repatriation of these asylum seekers back into North Korea. OHCHR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:11
• Production Date: 13 March 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT; HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
• MAMS Id: U120313d

Description

STORY: GENEVA / SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR NORTH KOREA
TRT: 3.11
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 12 MARCH 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Tilt up, from Palais des nations building to UN flag
2. Med shot, Marzuki Darusman entering office
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):
“One of the major findings we have come across during our visits to neighbouring countries, is that there has been a sharp rise in the people wanting to leave the country. And the incidents of cross border, people crossing the border, on that particular strip between North Korea and China.”
3. Med shot, Marzuki Darusman
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):
“In some cases there has been incidents of people being repatriated by the authorities on the border and this is a matter of great concern for the international community and also for the United Nations. And in terms of principles of non-refoulement, it requires that people seeking refuge in other countries are not forcibly repatriated to their countries of origin, against their will.”
5. Marzuki Darusman hands
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):
“The distinction being made between asylum seekers and economic refugees will need to be determined by a procedure that meets international standards and therefore, it can’t be just a unilateral action on the part of any country in returning these people without a considered base and making a determination of their actual status.”
7. Cutaway, Marzuki Darusman hands
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):
“But with regard with people leaving North Korea, invariably, it has been the case historically that almost all people wanting to leave North Korea are by definition asylum seekers, if only, because the general repression that is prevailing there, which effects a whole range of other rights including economic rights that are being deprived and therefore apart from being economic refugees, there are actually asylum seekers fleeing from political repression.”
9. Marzuki Darusman hands
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):
“I think the International community should be vigilant on this and that is to separate the humanitarian issue to any political considerations of addressing a population that is known to be in chronic need for continuous assistance, year in year out, because of the short coming of that system, which is basically incapable of feeding its own people.”
11. Tilt down, flag

Storyline

In his report to the Human Rights Council today, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Marzuki Darusman said today that there has been a rise of people fleeing the country seeking asylum in neighbouring countries and expressed concern about rising incidents of repatriation of these asylum seekers back into North Korea.

“This is a matter of great concern for the international community and also for the United Nations. And in terms of principles of non-refoulement, it requires that people seeking refuge in other countries are not forcibly repatriated to their countries of origin, against their will.”

He stressed that distinction made between economic migrants and asylum seekers needs to be determined by a procedure that meets international standards.

Noting that It can’t be just a unilateral action on the part of any country in returning these people without a considered base and making a determination of their actual status.

He said, “but with regard with people leaving North Korea, invariably, it has been the case historically that almost all people wanting to leave North Korea are by definition asylum seekers, if only, because the general repression that is prevailing there, which effects a whole range of other rights including economic rights that are being deprived and therefore apart from being economic refugees, there are actually asylum seekers fleeing from political repression.”

Darusman, who was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as the UN independent Expert on the human rights issues in North Korea in August 2010, has been denied access into the country and has only visited neighbouring states. He raised concerns over cases of North Korea abductees in Japan and the Republic of Korea by North Korean agents.

Darusman said members of the international community have both a joint and individual responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance in times of emergency.

“I think the International community should be vigilant on this and that is to separate the humanitarian issue to any political considerations of addressing a population that is known to be in chronic need for continuous assistance, year in year out, because of the short coming of that system, which is basically incapable of feeding its own people.”