Seven alleged N. Koreans demand refugee status in Thailand: activists

Seven North Korean defectors turned themselves in to Thai authorities and demanded refugee status Monday after arriving in the southeast Asian country earlier in the day, a civic activist group working with the alleged defectors said.

"A group of seven North Korean refugees, all women, have arrived in the Nongkai Province of Thailand from Laos and presented themselves without delay to the authorities at 9:00 a.m. (local time) Monday," said a statement released by the Life Funds for North Korean Refugees.

According to the Tokyo-based humanitarian organization, the alleged North Koreans were seeking asylum "in accordance with Article 31 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which prohibits, among other things, imposing penalties on refugees on account of their illegal entry."

The move apparently aims to avoid subjecting the group to a crackdown by Thai police. A group of 175 North Korean defectors were rounded up in the country late last month in a surprise raid at their shelter.

"We are a group of seven North Korean women who have defected from North Korea at separate times, risking our lives in a desperate bid for freedom rather to wait in passive resignation for either starvation or imprisonment in our homeland," the self-proclaimed North Koreans said in a statement posted at the civic organization's Web site, www.northkoreanrefugees.com.

The group consists of seven females, ranging from 22 to 36 years of age, according to their profiles, also posted on the Web site.

The seven initially met in China along with four other North Korean defectors, who decided to split with the group "a few days ago" after arriving in Laos, the activist group said.

An official at the South Korean Foreign Ministry refused to confirm the report, saying the government does not comment on "specific" issues related to North Korean defectors.

"We cannot confirm the report. Because of the safety (of North Korean defectors) and other (considerations), the government does not confirm any specific details of defections," the official at the ministry's inter-Korean policy division told Yonhap News Agency, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap)