NORTHERN BORDER / ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

People smuggling rings expanding

Subin Kheunkaew & NAOWARAT SUKSAMRAN

Smuggling rings sneaking North Korean illegal immigrants via Thailand to third countries, particularly South Korea, are expanding, say authorities.

During the current dry spell, the number of North Korean immigrants has increased considerably, with the Mekong river a convenient route for illegal entry.

In 2003, only 40 North Korean illegal immigrants were caught and deported, but from then until last year the number kept rising to 367.

"It is expected that the number will reach up to 1,000 by the end of this year," said Pol Col Jessada Yaisoon, superintendent of Mae Sai immigration office in Chiang Rai.

North Korean asylum-seekers sneak out of their country through China and Laos, then take a boat trip on the Mekong river before entering Thailand.

This route is very popular, especially in the dry season when the river's level is lower, making it easy for them to enter Thailand by hiring speedboats.

A report says about 199 of the illegal immigrants have taken this route since early this year.

The immigrants usually cross over from North Korea's Ham-Gyung Buk To city into China's Jiling prefecture. They then journey to Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna prefecture in Yunnan.

Then they embark on Chinese cargo ships, disembark at Mom city in Laos, and take speedboats to Chiang Saen port in Chiang Rai.

The North Korean immigrants vary in age from children to elderly people. Many of them are well-educated women.

Some stay in China and Laos for a while to seek jobs there. It may take them about a month or as long as a year to seek asylum in third countries, with South Korea as their top choice.

"Those who fled their country will not return to North Korea. That means death," a ship's captain said, and admitted that he allowed North Koreans to stay on board his ship briefly. They are then ferried on speedboats arranged by smuggling rings.

Pol Col Jessada said North Korean illegal immigrants spend between 200,000 and 400,000 baht on their journey expenses. But an immigration source said they need much more money, amounting to between one million and 1.5 million baht per head, to pay smuggling rings to take them to their destinations.

Pol Col Jessada said these immigrants do not want to settle down in Thailand. The kingdom is only a transit point for them to get to a third country.

"As soon as they make landfall here, they just walk straight to police to surrender," he said. Most of them have an education and money, and can enlist the help of their relatives.

"They are particularly happy when they learn they will be sent to the Immigration Bureau in Soi Suan Phlu in Bangkok because from there officials from the [South Korean] embassy will take them over before repatriating them to South Korea," Pol Col Jessada said.

Apart from Chinese and Lao, Thais and South Koreans in Thailand also engage in smuggling in the North Koreans, said the source. They arrange everything, and coordinate their networks along the route from China, Laos and Thailand to make sure their "clients" will eventually make it safely to South Korea.

Pol Col Jessada said despite his efforts to ask Chinese immigration officers to crack down on Chinese ships providing shelter for illegal immigrants, they still resort to travelling by speedboat and taking brief rests along the banks of the Mekong to avoid being caught.

He said it is tough to stop them from coming in.

The Lao government also refuses to take them in. Sending them back to China or North Korea amounts to "a death sentence" for them.

Bangkok Post

Saturday April 07, 2007