TWO NORTH KOREANS JUMP EMBASSY WALL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003534 SIPDIS SIPDIS GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2016 TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PHUM KNEP KS TH SUBJECT: TWO NORTH KOREANS JUMP EMBASSY WALL REF: STATE 58514 BANGKOK 00003534 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN SUTTON, REASON 1.4 (B,D) 1.(U) This is an action request. See para 6. ¶2. (C) On Wednesday, June 14 at approximately 0400 Bangkok time, two males aged 17 and 22 and claiming to be North Koreans jumped the U.S. Embassy fence of the old office building compound. They hid until the 0700 opening of business, whereupon they presented themselves to Embassy guards, identified themselves as North Koreans and were taken to the new office building across the street. They were met and interviewed by the ARSO, RefCoord, Deputy RefCoord, and Embassy spouse interpreter at 0900. In response to a question, the two stated they approached the Embassy to seek resettlement in the United States. The two were unaccompanied and spoke minimal English and no Thai. Embassy had no advance notice the two were coming. ¶2. (C) RefCoord explained USG policy towards North Korean refugees to the two individuals. Per reftel instructions, Refcoord referred the two to UNHCR. Refcoord contacted and told UNHCR about the cases, expressed USG interest in them and indicated the USG would be willing to process the two for U.S. resettlement if they expressed interest in that. UNHCR agreed to interview the two persons the same day. Embassy Thai staff escorted the two by taxi to UNHCR where they were interviewed by the UNHCR South Korean secondee for nationality verification and resettlement country interest. UNHCR reported later that the two were North Koreans and interested in U.S. resettlement. UNHCR issued persons of concern letters to them. ¶3. (C) Biographical information on the two North Koreans follows. What is notable about their cases is that they were waiting inside the ROK Embassy in Beijing for resettlement to the ROK and were close to the front of the queue when they heard about the U.S. resettlement of six North Koreans. They then decided together to pursue the U.S. option and snuck out of the ROK Embassy. They left Beijing on May 22. Name: P'yo Gum Bol DOB: August 1, 1989 Father and older sister are currently resettled in the ROK. In response to the question of why he wanted U.S. resettlement when his father and sister were in the ROK, P'yo Gum Bol stated that his father had told him in a telephone conversation when he was still in China that life in the ROK was difficult. P'yo Gum Bol's mother now lives in China. He left the DPRK for China about 4 years ago. Name: Paek Un Ril DOB: December 3, 1984 Paek Un Ril was in the DPRK military for two years as a sergeant in an air defense unit until he fled to China in August 2005. ¶4. (C) Refugee Route of travel: The two North Koreans left Beijing on May 22. They reported no NGO guidance or assistance throughout their travel. However, they were able to make contact with various Korean churches and communities in different Chinese cities on the way. P'yo Gum Bol speaks Chinese and was able to locate Koreans in the Chinese cities they transited. The churches they came in contact with provided ad hoc assistance in the form of food, money, and information about routes of travel to Thailand. They traveled to the southern Chinese cities of Kunming and Jinghong and then crossed without complications into Laos. From Laos they stole a small boat and paddled across the Mekong river to Thailand near the town of Chiang Saen. They were discovered by local Thai authorities who reportedly instructed them to return to Laos. They recalled paddling down the river while the Thai authorities followed them in a vehicle along the shore. When the patrol car eventually stopped following them, they were able to land safely on the Thai side of the river. The NKs reported that they then traveled to the Thai town of Chiang Rai. From Chiang Rai they caught an overnight bus to Bangkok and then a taxi to the U.S. Embassy. It took them three days to reach Bangkok BANGKOK 00003534 002.2 OF 002 from the time they entered Thailand. ¶5. (C) Rumors: The two North Koreasn stated that one of the reasons they abandoned the sure route to ROK resettlement was because they heard that the USG announced that it would resettle 1000 North Korean asylum seekers. Their hasty escape from the ROK Embassy in Beijing was to ensure that they were among the first 1000 to be considered. They came with clear expectations that the USG would send them immediately to the United States and that the Embassy would take care of all their needs (food, shelter, clothing, transportation, etc.),including staying in the Embassy if necessary. They were fully aware of the previous six North Koreans resettled to the U.S. though they claimed that six other North Koreans had also been resettled to the U.S. They reported no knowledge of where the original six North Koreans were processed for resettlement. ¶6. (C) Action Request: Please provide guidance on whether post should take further steps in processing these cases for U.S. resettlement. P'yo Gum Bol is 17 years of age and therefore a minor. As stated above, his father and older sister now live in the ROK. If the Department were to decide to approve his case for U.S. resettlement processing, a Best Interests Determination (BID) would presumably be necessary. UNHCR told Refcoord June 14 that they were prepared to do a BID on his case, but believed they would likely find that he should be reunited with his father and sister in the ROK. BOYCE