 All 44 North Koreans who forced their way into Canada's embassy in China have left for an undisclosed third country, officials said after weeks of diplomacy between Ottawa and Beijing. The asylum seekers had been holed up inside the embassy since late September, as negotiations took place on their fate. China, which did not consider the North Koreans as refugees, at first demanded they be handed over to its authorities. Canada declined to do so. Sebastien Theberge, spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew told AFP that the refugees had all now left for a third country, though he would not disclose where.| "Canada can say no more, eh?" |
The resolution was the result of talks between Pettigrew and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, including on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Chile last month, he said. In a statement, Pettigrew paid tribute to "heroic efforts" by embassy staff in managing the crisis. "I would also like to thank the Chinese government for working with us to resolve this issue in a way that is consistent with our international obligations and in keeping with our humanitarian concerns," Pettigrew said. |