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Former North Korean official denied refugee status in Canada
I have mixed feelings about this one. Seems we should be encouraging defections, shouldnât we?A former high-ranking North Korean government official who has been hiding in Canada with his son for almost two years has been denied refugee status in the country. CBC News has learned that Ri Song Daeâs refugee claim has been denied because of his complicity with a government guilty of crimes against humanity. Thatâs pretty vague. Surely they have more on him than that. The adjudicator in the case said she believed the former trade diplomat could be tortured and killed if he returned to North Korean. Killed, probably not. But thereâll be no room at the party trough anymore. She found that Ri knew of atrocities committed by the North Korean government but suspected he fled after he made "alcohol-fueled" comments that got him in trouble. A lot of people know about the atrocities of the NKorean government. This is the reason for denying him refugee status??? His five-year-old son will be allowed to stay in Canada. Ri said he fled North Korea after he was accused of "leaking confidential military and state information" to China. To China?? Well, thatâs obviously made up. He claimed heâd become fed up with conditions in North Korea and spoke out against the government after witnessing the mistreatment of people caught trying to defect. The Korean community sheltered Ri when he came to Canada. He hid underground in Toronto. Ri said his wife and son also fled to Canada. He claimed his wife was lured back to Japan by her parents where she was kidnaped and returned to North Korea and killed last year. The board said Ri provided no proof of his wifeâs death. Ri plans to fight the adjudicatorâs judgment in federal court. Someone better explain to the board how Communist tyrants work. They donât exactly provide death certificates in some cases. Posted by: Rafael 2003-10-06 |
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