NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE PIPELINE CONTINUES TO RUN THROUGH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHIANG MAI 000003 SIPDIS GENEVA FOR RMA DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, DRL AND PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/5/2020 TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM SMIG CH KN KS TH SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE PIPELINE CONTINUES TO RUN THROUGH NORTHERN THAILAND REF: A. 08 CHIANG MAI 185 (THAILAND-NORTH KOREA REFUGEE) ¶B. 09 RANGOON 10 (FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES) CHIANG MAI 00000003 001.2 OF 003 CLASSIFIED BY: Alex Barrasso, Chief, Pol/Econ, CG Chiang Mai. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) -------------- Summary and Comment -------------- ¶1. (C) During a late 2009 trip to Thailand's northern province of Chiang Rai, contacts told us that: North Korean asylum seekers continue to enter the province at a rate of 350-400 per year, mostly in the March-May and October-November timeframes; field-level cooperation to intercept would-be arrivals with Burmese and Lao counterparts is good; and that smuggling techniques have improved . We also visited the Mae Sai IDC, where conditions appeared good, and spoke with a South Korean Missionary, who provided new details about migratory patterns. ¶2. (C) Comment: As long as Thailand facilitates DPRK resettlement to third countries, asylum seekers will continue to make their way here in search of a better life. Nonetheless, local authorities lack resources to handle the growing caseload, and appear reluctant to do more than absolutely necessary to assist North Koreans in search of better opportunities in South Korea and the U.S. End Summary and Comment. -------------- Numbers, Routes -------------- ¶3. (C) According to police officials in Chiang Rai, would-be North Korean refugees continue to enter northern Thailand through the province at an average rate of 350-400 per year - a trend they say has stayed consistent since 2005. Without revealing precise figures, immigration officials told us local authorities had arrested more North Korean asylum seekers in 2009 than 2008. They continue to arrive via China and Laos as reported Reftel, our contacts reaffirmed, with most arriving in the months of March-May and October-November. Separately, despite earlier assertions by various contacts that North Koreans were favoring other routes of entry into Thailand, such as through Nong Khai Province, contacts in that northeastern province told us that the Marine Police there arrested a total of 47 North Korean asylum seekers between January 2008 and March ¶2009. (Note: In 2007, Chiang Rai provincial authorities rounded up a total of 924 North Korean asylum seekers.) ¶4. (C) A South Korean missionary who used to regularly provide succor to North Korean asylum seekers in Chiang Rai confirmed the local authorities' suspicion that South Korean brokers are involved. The North Koreans pay upwards of $3,000 to be smuggled, he said. If they have family in the U.S. or ROK who can pay the broker, they only spend a short time in China before heading to Thailand, he asserted. Those less fortunate work a long time in China in order to repay the debt, he observed. The fact that some North Korean arrestees speak fluent Chinese leads police and immigration officials with whom we spoke to believe that a number spend years in China. Some marry and have Chinese families, though when they arrive in Thailand, they bring their DPRK, not Chinese relatives, the officials stated. ¶5. (C) The Missionary, Reverend Oh, went on to say that most enter Thailand through the ports of Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen, which are separated from Laos by the Mekong River. Police and immigration contacts corroborated this statement, noting that most North Korean refugees surrender to Thai authorities as soon as possible after entering Thailand,, and often go so far as to create situations that would cause them to be arrested. Some opt to travel directly to Bangkok and get arrested there in the hope of spending less time in immigration detention before CHIANG MAI 00000003 002.2 OF 003 resettling, they stated. Rev. Oh acknowledged that he used to proactively assist asylum seekers with this journey, adding that he now only assists if refugees take the initiative to seek him out. -------------- Cuffed, Then What? -------------- ¶6. (C) Once North Korean asylum seekers are arrested, they are taken to the nearest police station for interrogation and pre-trial detention of up to 48 hours, according to police and immigration contacts. When they are taken to court on immigration charges, they do not contest the charges, and choose to spend a few days in custody at the court house in lieu of paying a fine. Officials told us fines are roughly equivalent to $30, and those who can/will not pay typically spend a day or two in custody. They are then transferred to the Mae Sai IDC. Once they have a big enough group that is ready to travel to Bangkok, immigration officials make arrangements for their transfer. They do not send refugees one by one because it is not cost effective, our contacts asserted. ¶7. (C) Police officials described working-level cooperation with their Lao and Burmese counterparts as good, noting however that coordination at the central government level is lacking. They cited a case in early 2009 in which they cooperated with Burmese authorities to receive a group of 19 North Korean defectors (Ref B),and process their subsequent resettlement applications. Local authorities told us they would prefer not to see humanitarian NGOs set up shop in the province, fearing that their presence will create a "pull factor." -------------- Legal Process Inadequate -------------- ¶8. (C) Police and immigration contacts pointed to several legal and logistical difficulties they face in trying to process North Koreans. They claim they do not have a budget to cover the cost of feeding and sheltering the refugees once they are arrested, nor do they have Korean-speaking staff. The ROK Embassy assists them with interpretation when requested, but can often not respond immediately, they lamented. Due to the need to process many asylum seekers without an officer from the ROK Embassy present, most refugees sign legal documents without comprehending them. Additionally, they observed that South Korean brokers are taking advantage of Thai laws that allow Koreans to enter Thailand and stay for 90 days without obtaining a visa. -------------- Not All IDCs are Unsanitary -------------- ¶9. (C) While at the Mae Sai Immigration Office, we requested and received permission to view the IDC where North Koreans were held. The Center consists of two chambers separated by gates at a distance of a few yards from each other. One room is for male detainees, and the other for female. Detainees in different chambers can talk to each other easily through the fences and can see each other, but are not permitted to have physical contact. Inmates in both chambers were conversing, looking after family members, and hanging out laundry. CHIANG MAI 00000003 003.2 OF 003 ¶10. (C) We observed bathroom facilities in both chambers, as well as neatly-stacked and recently washed food service trays. Ventilation was more than adequate, and the walls of both chambers appeared to have been recently painted. Immigration officials told us that there were a total of 24 North Korean inmates at the time -- four male and 20 female. This number nearly doubled in early November due to the arrest of an additional 19 North Koreans, but was reduced to zero two days later, when officials transferred the entire contingent of 43 North Korean detainees to Bangkok. MORROW