Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reports on BBC World News, on 14 November, about the fate of ten North Korean escapees currently detained in China; what representations, if any, they have received about those escapees; and whether they have made representations to the government of China (1) concerning its obligations under international conventions on the treatment of refugees, and (2) to secure the release of those escapees.

We are aware of reports of a number of North Koreans being detained in the city of Shenyang, China. At this time we have not raised these individual cases with the Chinese Government.

Despite claims by the DPRK authorities that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, reports suggest that they are often mistreated by the authorities.

We raised the issue of non-refoulement with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human rights Dialogue, which was held in Beijing on 27/28 June.