The mobilisation in South Korea on behalf of 31 refugees fails to persuade Chinese authorities, who send them back where they face severe punishment. However, a group of North Korean orphans have been able to evade capture and are still in hiding in China.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - China repatriated all 31 North Korean refugees it arrested last month despite public appeals, parliamentary motions and international protests against the move, activists said on Friday, warning they could face severe punishment. A South Korean lawmaker announces however the successful flight of 50 children who are waiting to have their refugee claim approved.

Do Hee-Yun, head of the Citizens' Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees, said, the North Korean refugees "were returned to the North clandestinely over the past two weeks," where "They are likely to be severely punished as they fled the North during the mourning period."

The North has been in mourning since 'dear leader' Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on 17 December. He was succeeded by his youngest son Kim Jong-un.

Among the latter's first orders, a shoot-to-kill decree was issued for border guards to stop would-be "traitors", i.e. refugees trying to flee the country.

In the past, North Korea had treated those who simply crossed the border to find food with relative leniency. Now the country's new dictator is using an iron fist.

For China, North Korean refugees are illegal economic migrants. Beijing and Pyongyang have a long-standing agreement that any North Korean caught in China would be immediately repatriated.

Since the end of the Korean War, about 25,000 North Koreans have fled to China, mostly in recent years.

South Korea has mobilised to help the latest wave of escapees, repeatedly urging Beijing not to treat refugees as in the past. China's decision to send the most recent refugees indicates that it has not heeded Seoul's request.

The picture is not however entirely bleak. Some 50 North Korean orphans are hiding in Chin, waiting for their refugee application to be processed.

"Fortunately, I haven't heard that they were caught," said Park Sun-young, from the opposition Liberty Forward Party.

Last month, she went on hunger strike outside China's embassy in Seoul to denounce Beijing's repatriation of North Korean refugees. She ended her fast last Friday, the 11th day, when she collapsed.

• north
• south
• korea
• china
• refugees
• repatriation
• punishment