Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The way that it typically enters the country is either through a kind of illegal cross-border trade or through organizations that have relationships with suppliers in China who have access to North Korea. They're infiltrated with shipments that come from China, and through that t

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  As I mentioned, 90% of the North Korean defectors who go to South Korea—that is, the vast majority of North Koreans who end up defecting—end up in Thailand. The only two countries that have policies related to resettling North Korean refugees from Thailand are the United States a

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The one thing I'll add is that actually there's a magnitude element as well, depending on how high-ranking you are. For example, following the defection by Mr. Hwang, who I mentioned who was very high up in the North Korean regime, allegedly 800 people were executed as a result.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I wouldn't say it would be exclusively Korean Canadians, but that's been our focus so far. It's just as it was with the Vietnamese boat people, when people from across Canada and rural towns in Ontario sponsored Vietnamese families. So our focus has been on the Korean community b

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The vast majority of North Korean defectors indicate that they were exposed in North Korea to some form of outside media, whether it be radio broadcasts, DVDs, or USB keys, etc. It plays a crucial role in their decision whether to stay or not.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In terms of?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'm going to put it back into the Canadian context. Canada has a unique position here because the six-party talks nations are in a different position than Canada is. The six-party talks nations often have to put human rights as a footnote or take it off the agenda, because the pr

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In terms of repatriating them?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, they do.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Absolutely.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Is this is similar to Mr. Cotler's question, or...?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Since around 2010, Canada officially has had a controlled engagement policy. In a way, those sanctions don't necessarily have a huge punch, because the real economic impact was small. Only a few hundred thousand dollars' worth of trade was going into North Korea from Canada. What

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The quick answer is that they will be repatriated to North Korea. To leave North Korea without permission.... They don't have the same mobility rights that we do. They will be punished by imprisonment, torture, or execution. Depending on what circumstances they escaped through, w

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  We would work under a model similar to that of the South Koreans. We've had informal discussions with the South Korean government. We would interview these North Koreans who are in Thailand, and gather their biographical information that would be necessary for referral to the gov

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  One of the most interesting ways that things are changing within North Korea is in their access to information. One of the key ways that they have gotten access to information is through the markets in North Korea. Seeing DVDs from South Korea and the United States has really cha