•HCON 109 IH 
repatriated to North Korea are subjected to torture, im-
prisonment, and execution; 
Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China 
forcibly detains and imprisons Chinese citizens and for-
eign aid workers who try to assist North Korean refugees 
inside China; 
Whereas the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on 
North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn, in 2005 concluded that 
North Koreans in China under international law are ‘‘ref-
ugees sur place’’ because while they may have not fled 
because of persecution they face a well founded fear of 
persecution if forced back to North Korea; 
Whereas despite urging from the international community 
that the Government of the People’s Republic of China 
not return North Koreans to North Korea, the Chinese 
Government reportedly forcibly repatriated approximately 
31 North Korean refugees in March 2012 who had been 
arrested by Chinese security agents between February 8 
and February 12, 2012; 
Whereas the refugees were repatriated to North Korea de-
spite a report by the United Nations High Commissioner 
for Refugees on February 24, 2012, that it had requested 
the Government of China to uphold the non-refoulement 
principle and urged a humanitarian solution for the de-
tained North Koreans; 
Whereas up to 90 percent of North Korean women refugees 
in China fall prey to traffickers in China who sell the ref-
ugees into sexual slavery; 
Whereas the Republic of Korea has repeatedly requested that 
China stop repatriating North Korean refugees; 
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•HCON 109 IH 
Whereas under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of the 
Republic of Korea, North Koreans are considered citizens 
of the Republic of Korea; and 
Whereas the international community has shown its willing-
ness to help China resolve this crisis as evidenced by the 
safe resettlement of over 27,500 North Korean refugees 
in over 20 nations: Now therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That— 
(1) Congress— 
(A) requests that the Government of China 
honor its obligations under the United Nations 
Convention relating to the 1951 Status of Refu-
gees and the 1967 Protocol; and 
(B) requests that the United States Am-
bassador to China submit a report within 30 
days about whether he is allowed to visit the 
North Korean refugees and on the plight of the 
North Korean refugees; and 
(2) it is the sense of Congress that— 
(A) any forced repatriations of North Ko-
rean refugees should be stopped; 
(B) North Korean refugees wishing reset-
tlement in a third country should be allowed to 
apply for asylum in those countries with the as-
sistance of the United Nations High Commis-
sioner for Refugees; and 
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•HCON 109 IH 
(C) the United Nations High Commis-
sioner for Refugees should be allowed to have 
access to all North Korean refugees residing in 
China. 
Æ 
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