Thai Court Convicts 136 Illegal Immigrants From North Korea
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Bangkok, Thailand (AHN) - A court in Bangkok, Thailand has sent to prison at least 136 illegal immigrants from North Korea and was told to pay $160 for violating the country's immigration laws. Those convicted were part of a group of 175 asylum seekers from North Korea found hiding in an abandoned house in the nation's capital on Tuesday. However, the court waived the fine because all of them were unable to pay. Instead, they were ordered to spend 30 days in jail after which, they would be sent to South Korea, which grants citizenship to defectors from Pyongyang. Until recently, Thailand is fast becoming a favorite transit destination for North Koreans fleeing the communist north. This has posed serious problem for Bangkok, officials say. The group, comprising of 45 men and 130 women, were found inside the building in Bangkok's Huay Kwang District. At least 25 of those arrested were children. Court record show that the North Koreans arrived in Thailand in separate small groups who traveled to the country via China. A Thai immigration official was quoted by AFP as saying, "If someone pays the fine and the North Koreans are released, they will be taken back to an immigration detention center." "After that, if any third country, which in this case is likely to be South Korea, wants to take these North Koreans, they have to make a proposal through |
