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CNN Live At Daybreak

North Koreans Seek Asylum in Spanish Embassy in Beijing

Aired March 14, 2002 - 06:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've been showing you video out of Beijing of a group of North Koreans who stormed -- I mean literally stormed the Spanish embassy seeking asylum. Authorities believe there could be more North Koreans desperately trying to get out of that communist nation. As our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz tells us, security around several embassies in Beijing has now been increased.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Wearing baseball hats, the group of North Koreans including eight children, casually approached Spain's embassy in Beijing, just like a typical tour group, until they dashed into the compound catching a Chinese soldier suddenly off guard.

The more than 20 Koreans, mostly workers, civil servants, housewives, and students, barged into the embassy building seeking safe passage to South Korea. Some threatened to commit suicide if the Chinese authorities send them back to Pyongyang. Political repression, natural disasters, and chronic famine in North Korea have spurred an exodus of refugees mostly into China. Several hours before seeking refuge in the embassy, they explained why they are fleeing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I never had imagined another country better than North Korea and now after I escaped I could not stand any more. Now I know we were cheated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We would like to give our children better education and we would like to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Sometimes we had to stop classes because we had nothing to eat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It was not just lack of food. They controlled us politically. We were not treated as human beings.

FLORCRUZ: Political repression, natural disasters and chronic famine in North Korea have spurred an exodus of refugees, mostly into China. Nine months ago the Chang (ph) family similarly sought refuge in the Beijing office of the U.N. High Commission for refugees until they were quietly allowed to leave for South Korea via third countries. Observers think this may just be the beginning of a mass exodus of Korean refugees in China estimated to be as many 150,000.

NORBERT VOLLERSTSEN, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: They will try to go over the Chinese-North Korean border, and they will try to get to Beijing and look for an embassy.

FLORCRUZ: That will be a nightmare to Beijing authorities who are reinforcing security around diplomatic compounds. While South Korea may be willing to take in the refugees now stranded in the building behind me, analysts say Spain and China would be hard pressed to grant their wishes for fear of offending North Korea and encouraging a flood of more refugees.

Jaime FlorCruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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