WRITTEN QUESTION E-3863/02 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. North Korean refugees.
Date: 2003-01-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, North Korea, UNHCR, bilateral agreement, human rights, political refugee, return migration, the EU's international role

C 78 E/352

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

classification proposal the invitations covered water collection, purification and distributions services, and
waste water services; waste management services, protection of ambient air and climate, remediation and
cleanup of soil and water. It should however be pointed out that such requests were only addressed to 7
out of the 30 LDCs that are members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and where EC believed that
opening those sectors to foreign delivery would clearly be beneficial for their economic development by
allowing better access to foreign capital and know-how.

The horizontal limitation addresses those areas which fall under the scope of the agreement, and thus
outside the exemption provided for by Article 1.3 GATS. In particular this covers the situations where
services are offered under commercial conditions, for example in the case of waste management, but where
Member States, due to the specific organisation of that market, have decided to limit the provision of those
services within a specific area to only one service supplier.

(2004/C 78 E/0370)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3863/02

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 January 2003)

Subject: North Korean refugees

Is the Commission aware that North Korean refugees in China are being forcibly repatriated to North
Korea by Chinese authorities even though they are likely to face prison sentences or even execution?

Is the Commission also aware that the Chinese authorities have arrested and put on trial several people for
assisting North Korean refugees?

Given that
the Chinese authorities are denying the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) access to the North Korean refugees, and in doing so are violating the UNHCR-China bilateral
treaty and breaking international law, what pressure will the Commission bring on the Chinese authorities
to put an end to forced repatriation and respect the terms of the treaty?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2003)

The Commission is aware of the situation of North Korean Refugees in China and shares the Honourable
Member’s concern.

The Union has raised the issue on every possible occasion both with the Democratic Peoples Republic of
Korea (DPRK) and China. In particular within the framework of the bilateral Union-China dialogue on
human rights, the Union has urged China to respect international humanitarian norms and to grant access
to the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees to assess the situation of North Koreans in the border
area.

Furthermore, the Union called on China to refrain from repatriating North Koreans until satisfactory
assurances could be obtained from North Korean authorities that punishments had ceased. The treatment
of North Korean refugees in China and the Union’s corresponding demands have been reiterated during
the last session of the Union-China bilateral Human Rights dialogue held 13/14 November 2002 in
Beijing.

The Commission will continue to monitor the situation of refugees from North Korea with particular
attention and raise the issue in its contacts with the DPRK and the Chinese authorities.