US embassy cable - 05HANOI1373

UNCLAS HANOI 001373 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ASEC, KN, TH, VM, DPRK, ASEAN 
SUBJECT:  Seven North Koreans Enter Thai Embassy in Hanoi 
 
Ref:  Hanoi 136 and previous 
 
1. (SBU) Thai DCM Tawatchai Koopirom confirmed June 9 that 
seven North Koreans asylum-seekers entered his embassy the 
day before.  The three men and four women, including two 
younger people, got through the embassy's front gate by 
pretending to be visa applicants.  "It all happened very 
fast," he said.  The seven seem healthy and are currently 
hunkered down in a small room in the chancery, and the Thais 
have given them food and blankets.  The Thai Embassy has no 
Korean speakers on its staff, and communications have been 
limited to drawings and sign language.  However, the seven 
were carrying a note written in English that indicated that 
they are North Koreans seeking asylum.  Tawatchai said the 
group "wants to go to South Korea" and surmised that they 
must have been very well organized because several reporters 
phoned the embassy soon after the North Koreans entered. 
 
2. (SBU) The Thai Embassy is in contact with the MFA's 
Consular Department and the Thai MFA is in touch with the 
UNHCR in Bangkok, Tawatchai said.  The Thais have also 
reached out to the ROK Embassy and the French Embassy. 
According to Tawatchai, the Thai Ambassador spoke with his 
French counterpart about how the French resolved their own 
case of DPRK asylum-seekers (reftel).  It is not yet clear 
how this will be resolved, Tawatchai said, but, for now, the 
GVN has increased security around the embassy. 
 
3. (SBU) ROK Embassy Political First Secretary Lee Kang-kuk 
confirmed that his embassy has been in touch with the Thais, 
but he had no details about the asylum-seekers or their 
intentions.  The ROK Embassy will "eventually" send someone 
to interview the asylum-seekers, but "at this point the 
Thais have to deal with the Vietnamese," Lee said. 
 
MARINE