The Pope must advocate for protection of refugees from North Korea and their helpers

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) sent an appeal to Pope Francis, asking him to advocate for more protection of the Christian refugees from North Korea and their helpers during his visit to South Korea. Every year, about 1,500 people flee from North Korea to South Korea, mostly via China and other countries in south-eastern Asia. "We are deeply concerned about the fact that the Chinese authorities are putting more and more pressure on the Christian helpers who support Christians who flee from religious persecution and the crimes against humanity in North Korea", reported Ulrich Delius, the STP's Asia-consultant, in Göttingen on Wednesday. More than a third of the 3,000 missionaries and Christian aid workers (most of whom are from South Korea) working close to China's border to North Korea were forced to leave the country in the past six months. "This will make it even harder for the oppressed Christians to find shelter in North Korea. The North Korean Christians, but also their helpers in South Korea, are urgently waiting for a sign of encouragement and help from Pope Francis."

The head of the Catholic Church will be visiting South Korea from August 14 to 18. His talks and meetings focus mainly on the emerging Catholic Church in South Korea and the fate of persecuted Christians in North Korea. There is no other country in which Christian believers are under similar pressure than in this dictatorship, in which attempts to flee from the republic will entail draconian punishment. A failed first attempt to escape is mostly followed by detention in a labor camp. In case of recurrence, the refugees are sentenced to long prison terms or executed.

Being a close ally of North Korea, China offers the refugees no protection at all – but deports them back into the hands of their pursuers. Most recently, a total of 29 North Korean refugees were arrested – in Qingdao (China / Shandong province) on July 15, 2014, and in the city of Kunming (China / Yunnan province) on July 17, 2014. Also, five escape agents from China and South Korea were arrested.

There are Christian missionaries who keep up a nationwide network of supporters within the People's Republic of China to help people from North Korea to escape from the country. Their help is especially important in the border regions, where they maintain cafes, orphanages and welfare centers to provide first aid for the displaced refugees. Now, since January 2014, the Chinese authorities are intensifying their pressure on the aid workers. For instance, many missionaries have received threats and it has become very difficult to obtain new visas. Further, more efforts are made to monitor and secure the border – in cooperation with North Korea.

STP's Asia-consultant Ulrich Delius is available for further questions: +49 551 499 06 27 or asien@gfbv.de.

You can download the full appeal here: Appeal to the Pope

Header Photo: Catholic Church England and Wales/Flickr