"China as the Final Destination for Trafficked North Korean Women"…UN Issues First Improvement Recommendations

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Criticizes China's Forced Repatriation Policy
First Time 'Human Rights Violations against North Korean Women' Raised in China's Review
"Normalize Status of North Korean Women... Do Not Punish under Immigration Law"

A United Nations committee evaluating the status of women's human rights worldwide has reviewed the human rights abuses of North Korean women defectors residing in China as a major issue and has issued its first recommendation to the Chinese government to address the problem. Given the strong criticism that China has become the 'final destination' for sexual exploitation and forced marriages of North Korean women, along with direct condemnation of its policy of forcibly repatriating defectors, this is expected to place significant pressure on the Chinese government.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) stated in a report released on the 30th (local time) reviewing the status of women's human rights in China, "We express concern that China has become a destination for trafficking North Korean women and girls for purposes such as sexual exploitation and forced marriage." This is the first time a UN-affiliated organization has publicly addressed the human rights issues of North Korean women defectors targeting China rather than North Korea, and also the first time it has recommended specific improvements to resolve the issue.

North Korean Flag

In particular, the committee expressed concern that "North Korean women defectors and girls are classified as 'illegal immigrants' and some are forcibly repatriated (to North Korea)," recommending that the Chinese government normalize the status of defected women whose human rights have been violated and refrain from cracking down on them for reasons such as illegal stay. Furthermore, it reiterated that "children born to North Korean women in China cannot be registered at birth locally unless their mothers are not at risk of deportation to North Korea," pointing out that "their rights to birth and nationality registration, education, and healthcare are being deprived." This highlights that the human rights abuses caused by China's forced repatriation policy toward defectors are being passed down to the next generation.

As specific improvements to address the problem, the committee recommended ▲ ensuring that women and girls who are victims of human trafficking are not punished for immigration violations ▲ guaranteeing basic social services such as temporary residence permits, medical and psychological counseling, and educational services ▲ providing alternative income opportunities and rehabilitation programs. It also urged granting access to North Korean trafficking victims for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and humanitarian organizations, and ensuring birth registration and acquisition of Chinese nationality for children born from voluntary or forced marriages with Chinese citizens.

'Publicizing the Issue of Human Trafficking of North Korean Women Defectors' Effective...China's Burden Likely to Increase

In September 2018, North Korean women dressed in hanbok participated in the "International March for Peace, Prosperity, and Reunification of Korea" held on the outskirts of Pyongyang. [Image source=AFP·Getty image]

Earlier, three human rights organizations?the North Korean Human Rights Citizens Alliance (NKHR), Transition Justice Working Group (TJWG), and the Institute for North Korean Human Rights (INKHR)?submitted a joint report on the human rights abuses of North Korean women defectors in China to the committee on the 10th of last month. The organizations cited that the revenue generated from forced marriages and prostitution involving North Korean women and girls is estimated at 197 billion KRW, pointing out that China's forced repatriation policy has led to organized human trafficking. They also expressed concern that this would lead to secondary harm such as forced family separations experienced by the children.

The UN's condemnation, which essentially accepted the 'publicizing attempt' by our organizations, is expected to place considerable pressure on the Chinese government. This is because it directly addresses the fundamental problem of forced repatriation carried out under the guise of a 'war against human trafficking.' China, as a member state of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, has an obligation to take measures to suppress all forms of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women occurring within its territory. Considering that China has actively promoted the advancement of women's rights since the 1995 Beijing Women's Conference declaration, this amounts to international embarrassment.

Joanna Hosanyak, Deputy Director of the North Korean Human Rights Citizens Alliance, said, "Although the Chinese government is a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and has an obligation to prevent human trafficking and protect its victims, it has caused organized human trafficking by not recognizing defectors as refugees and implementing forced repatriation policies." She added, "We expect that implementing the committee's recommendations will be the first step toward improving the human rights of North Korean defectors residing in China."

Shin Hee-seok, Legal Analyst at the Transition Justice Working Group, stated, "Taking the CEDAW recommendations as an opportunity, we once again urge China to establish procedures to recognize refugee status including for North Korean women defectors and to stop forced repatriations to North Korea." He added, "North Korean human rights organizations plan to continue raising the human rights issues of North Korean defectors in China during China's 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for early next year."