26 May

China’s aversion to humanity

Posted by S.K.

While China recovers from a devastating earthquake, we should remember a tragedy perpetrated by man

Civic groups advocating human rights for North Koreans urged China last week to stop repatriating those fleeing the impoverished communist country. The call was made before President Lee Myung-bak kicks off his four-day visit to China on Tuesday. The groups demanded Lee put forward a firm stance on North Korean defectors staying in China during a scheduled summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The rights groups, including Justice for North Korea, said that China should provide shelter to North Korean defectors who they claim are refugees. They expressed growing concerns that Chinese authorities might round up more and more North Korean defectors and forcibly send them back home ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. They have been staging a 444-day campaign to stop the forced repatriation of the defectors. The campaign is scheduled to end on the Aug. 8 opening of the Games.

This come amid reports that North Korean guards are sniping would be defectors as they are crossing the Tumen river.

I’ve been wondering what drives China to rid the country of North Koreans. What is in their interest in increasing crackdowns and increasing bounties?

If China wants to fix its image before the Olympics, sheltering refugees until they head for another country would help very much.

The answer is to keep the North Korean regime afloat. Then why is such a powerful nation so beholden to a nation that cannot even support itself?

2 Responses to “China’s aversion to humanity” »

  1. I hope you are getting paid for maintaining this site. I can’t imagine anyone silly enough to mindlessly relay propaganda such as this without being a stakeholder. But oh, perhaps you are even without being paid. Leave North Korea alone until you clean up your own back yard first.

    Comment by EdwinChang, on May 28th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

  2. This is America. I can help solve problems at home AND I can advocate for change abroad.

    Just because America has its own human rights problems doesn’t give China the green light be abusive.

    I am not getting paid for this, but I am a stakeholder. As a first-gen Chinese-American, I believe China needs to resolve the North Korean refugee issue with respect to international treaties such as the UNHCR (which China is a signatory).

    Trying to deal with the issue brutally and secretly while denying there is a problem in the first place is out of line for a nation that regards itself as great.

    Until the issue is resolved, I will continue to agitate for change and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

    Comment by S.K., on May 28th, 2008 at 9:43 pm

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