Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANGKOK3842
2006-06-29 07:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:  

NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE DEVELOPMENTS

Tags:  PREF PGOV PREL PHUM KN KS TH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4317
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBK #3842 1800705
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 290705Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9765
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2628
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1218
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1821
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 0467
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0372
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 2045
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 3525
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0042
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0305
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1673
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003842 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PHUM KN KS TH
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE DEVELOPMENTS

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN SUTTON, REASON 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003842

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PHUM KN KS TH
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE DEVELOPMENTS

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN SUTTON, REASON 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) UNHCR Regional Representative Hasim Utkan told
Refcoord on June 28 that the head of the Thai National
Security Council, General Winai Phattiyakul, had told him the
previous day that Thai intelligence was reporting that UNHCR
was involved in the trafficking of North Koreans to Thailand.
Utkan said he assured Winai that this was not the case, and
that UNHCR was playing only a facilitative role for the ROK
pipeline that moved North Koreans to the ROK. Utkan also
told Winai that UNHCR's activites helped to keep the issue
low-profile and prevent cases where North Koreans might jump
over Embassy walls. Utkan noted to Winai that UNHCR was
playing a role with North Koreans interested in U.S.
resettlement.


2. (C) Winai told Utkan that he would work to dispel any
notion within the RTG that UNHCR was engaged in trafficking
of North Koreans. Winai said that Thailand's policy was to
work with the USG on a case-by-case, discreet basis. The RTG
had also received reports that many North Koreans were
waiting in Laos to cross into Thailand. Winai said he was
surprised that the DPRK had not reacted negatively to the
movement of North Koreans through Thailand. He emphasized
the critical importance of having no publicity about the
issue.


3. (C) On June 29, Refcoord received a telephone call from
the ROK from an associate of Reverend Chun Ki-won, the
Director of the Durihana Mission. This person, Reverend
Choi, stated that Reverend Chun was not responsible for the
article published that day in the South Korean press about
North Korean refugees at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Chun
had not spoken to the press. Rather, the ROKG was
responsible. Reverend Choi said the ROKG wanted to stop the
movement of North Korean refugees to the United States and so
was publicizing the presence of the North Koreans in Thailand
who had approached the U.S. Embassy. Post obtained a copy of
a June 29 Yonhap article which cited ROKG officials
discussing a South Korean media story about North Koreans in
Thailand.


4. (C) Post received an inquiry June 29 from the Associated
Press asking for comment on the South Korean press report.
Post responded with standard guidance that long-standing USG
policy is not to comment on refugee or asylum cases.
ARVIZU