Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Myanmar arrests 19 North Korean defectors: police
AFP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
YANGON (AFP) - - Myanmar authorities have arrested 19 defectors from their ally North Korea and plan to charge them with illegally entering the country, a senior police official said Saturday.
The group of mostly men were trying to make their way to South Korea via China and Southeast Asia, an increasingly popular route for North Koreans trying to escape chronic hunger and repression in their communist homeland.
"They were arrested when they entered over the border in eastern Myanmar in early December," said the official, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media.
"As they were arrested in our territory, we are taking action against them under the immigration act," he told AFP. "Their main reason (for leaving) was to go to South Korea to meet with their relatives or family members there."
Many North Koreans cross China and travel through Laos and Myanmar to try and reach more sympathetic countries such as Thailand with the hope of winning eventual resettlement in South Korea.
China repatriates North Korean defectors as economic migrants. The Myanmar police official said he was not sure if the 19 people would be returned and said the North Korean embassy in Yangon had not yet intervened.
Military-ruled Myanmar and hardline communist North Korea, which are both severely criticised internationally for human rights abuses, agreed in April 2007 to restore diplomatic relations.
Myanmar severed ties with Pyongyang in 1983 following a failed assassination attempt by North Korean agents on then-South Korean president Chun Doo-Hwan during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
The bombing killed 17 of Chun's entourage including cabinet ministers while four Myanmar officials also died.
Myanmar, which has been ruled by generals since 1962, and North Korea have been branded "outposts of tyranny" by the United States, which imposes sanctions on both.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Myanmar Cyclone Aftermath
Myanmar arrests 19 North Korean defectors: policeAFP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Former Myanmar dictator's daughter released from house arrestAFP - Saturday, December 13
Nobel laureates launch appeal for Aung San Suu KyiAFP - Saturday, December 13
Myanmar working on Aung San Suu Kyi detention appeal: partyAFP - Friday, December 12
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Pets affected by recessionChannel NewsAsia - 1 hour 15 minutes ago
Police find body of security guard floating in the river at Robertson QuayChannel NewsAsia - 1 hour 23 minutes ago
Macau bars Hong Kong lawmakers from enteringAP - 1 hour 27 minutes ago
Myanmar arrests 19 North Korean defectors: policeAFP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Taiwan to expand official travel to ChinaAP - 2 hours 11 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
Myanmar arrests 19 North Korean defectors: police
Related Full Coverage
Myanmar Cyclone Aftermath
Myanmar Cyclone Aftermath
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Global economy seen sinking into 'severe' 2009 recession: report
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
Ageing L'Oreal heiress defends billion-dollar giveaway
Oil prices mixed; New York contract expires below 34 dollars
Deep Throat, Watergate's secret informant, dies at 95
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular