European Parliament resolution on North Korean asylum seekers, in particular in Thailand
Date: 2006-09-07
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: North Korea, Thailand, UNHCR, aid to refugees, refugee

C 305 E/262

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.12.2006

Thursday 7 September 2006

P6_TA(2006)0357

North Korean asylum seekers, in particular in Thailand

European Parliament resolution on North Korean asylum seekers, in particular in Thailand

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on North Korea,

— having regard to the rules laid down in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the

1967 Protocol thereto,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas,

in recent years, tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled from their home country
because of repression and widespread hunger, some risking their lives in travelling through China to
arrive in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea and other South-East Asian countries,

B. whereas the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has ratified the International Covenant on

Civil and Political Rights,

C. whereas Thailand has become a transit destination for North Koreans fleeing their homeland, thus
putting the Thai authorities in a difficult situation vis-à-vis the DPRK, a country with which they have
friendly relations,

D. whereas the number of North Korean, Burmese, Laotian and Chinese refugees in transit on Thai ter-

ritory has considerably increased over the past year;

E. whereas the Thai authorities wish to enforce the law on illegal immigration;

F. whereas, on 22 August 2006, the Thai police arrested a group of 175 asylum seekers — 37 men,
128 women and 10 children — who had been hiding for the last two months in an abandoned
house in the Thai capital, Bangkok,

G. whereas these asylum seekers, who form the largest group of North Koreans ever arrested in Thailand,
were charged with illegal entry and brought before a court, where they were fined THB 6 000
(USD 160) each and put into jail for 30 days because they were unable to pay,

H. whereas 16 members of this group have been granted refugee status by the Bangkok Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and are scheduled to leave Thailand in a
few days for South Korea, which grants citizenship to defectors from the North,

I. whereas governments are bound by their obligation as parties to the 1951 Convention relating to the
Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereto to grant the UNHCR access to all nationals, including
North Koreans, seeking asylum in another country,

J. whereas the situation of the remaining asylum seekers remains precarious and needs to be resolved

rapidly,

Deplores, as it has done in its previous resolutions, the fact that thousands of North Korean citizens

1.
flee their country because of repression, hunger and economic decline;

Urges the Thai authorities not to repatriate the North Korean refugees, since they and their families

2.
will face dire consequences;

14.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 305 E/263

Thursday 7 September 2006

3.
Calls on Thailand, which is well-known for its long tradition of hospitality towards refugees and which
is a responsible member of the international community, to seek, in close cooperation with the UNHCR and
other humanitarian organisations, to find a rapid and acceptable solution for the North Korean refugees by
sending them to a third country of their choice after the expiry of their 30-day jail sentence;

Calls on countries able to take the refugees in to make this known at the earliest opportunity in order

4.
to ensure that they are not kept in detention;

Calls on the Commission closely to monitor the situation of North Korean refugees in collaboration

5.
with the UNHCR and, if necessary, to provide appropriate financial aid;

6.
Calls on the Council and the Commission to address the question of North Korean refugees and
asylum seekers during the forthcoming ASEM Summit (Asia-Europe Meeting) on 10 and 11 September
2006;

Calls on the Government of the DPRK to observe the special procedures established by the United

7.
Nations Commission on Human Rights;

8.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of
the Kingdom of Thailand, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Government of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

P6_TA(2006)0358

The situation in Zimbabwe

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Zimbabwe

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its resolutions of 15 January 2004 (1), 16 December 2004 (2) and 7 July 2005 (3),

— having regard to Council Common Position 2006/51/CFSP of 30 January 2006 renewing restrictive

measures against Zimbabwe until 20 February 2007 (4),

— having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 898/2005 (5) of 15 June 2005 extending the list of

those persons in Zimbabwe targeted by the restrictive measures,

— having regard to the International Crisis Group's report of 24 August 2006, ‘Zimbabwe: An Opposition

Strategy’,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the appalling humanitarian, political, and economic situation in Zimbabwe continues to dete-
riorate, with the so-called Operation Murambatsvina (drive out rubbish) leaving 700 000 people desti-
tute, with over 4 million Zimbabweans at risk of starvation and surviving on food aid, and political
repression continuing apace,

B. whereas the Zimbabwean Government has proposed the Interception of Communications Bill, which
will allow the military, intelligence services, police and the office of the President to monitor e-mail
correspondence, Internet access and telephone conversations,

(1) OJ C 92 E, 16.4.2004, p. 417.
(2) OJ C 226 E, 15.9.2005, p. 358.
(3) OJ C 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 491.
(4) OJ L 26, 31.1.2006, p. 28.
(5) OJ L 153, 16.6.2005, p. 9.