Seven North Koreans Enter Thai Embassy in Hanoi

UNCLAS HANOI 001373 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ASEC KN TH VM DPRK ASEAN SUBJECT: Seven NORTH Koreans Enter Thai Embassy in Hanoi Ref: Hanoi 136 and previous ¶1. (SBU) Thai DCM Tawatchai Koopirom confirmed June 9 that seven NORTH Koreans asylum-seekers entered his embassy the day before. The three men and four women, including two younger people, got through the embassy's front gate by pretending to be visa applicants. "It all happened very fast," he said. The seven seem healthy and are currently hunkered down in a small room in the chancery, and the Thais have given them food and blankets. The Thai Embassy has no Korean speakers on its staff, and communications have been limited to drawings and sign language. However, the seven were carrying a note written in English that indicated that they are NORTH Koreans seeking asylum. Tawatchai said the group "wants to go to South Korea" and surmised that they must have been very well organized because several reporters phoned the embassy soon after the NORTH Koreans entered. ¶2. (SBU) The Thai Embassy is in contact with the MFA's Consular Department and the Thai MFA is in touch with the UNHCR in Bangkok, Tawatchai said. The Thais have also reached out to the ROK Embassy and the French Embassy. According to Tawatchai, the Thai Ambassador spoke with his French counterpart about how the French resolved their own case of DPRK asylum-seekers (reftel). It is not yet clear how this will be resolved, Tawatchai said, but, for now, the GVN has increased security around the embassy. ¶3. (SBU) ROK Embassy Political First Secretary Lee Kang-kuk confirmed that his embassy has been in touch with the Thais, but he had no details about the asylum-seekers or their intentions. The ROK Embassy will "eventually" send someone to interview the asylum-seekers, but "at this point the Thais have to deal with the Vietnamese," Lee said. MARINE