S. Korean Authorities Urged to Send Back Detained Inhabitants of DPRK

S. Korean Authorities Urged to Send Back Detained Inhabitants of DPRK

Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Central Committee of the Red Cross Society of the DPRK issued the following statement as regards the south Korean puppet group′s notice that it would not send back the drifters of the DPRK: 31 inhabitants of the DPRK had been adrift in the sea due to the dense fog while gathering shellfish in the waters of its side off Yonphyong Island in the West Sea of Korea. The puppet group took them and their fishing boat to south Korea and has held them in custody for nearly one month since Feb. 5. Moreover, it informed the DPRK that it would not send back four of them. In the meantime, the DPRK side strongly demanded the south Korean side send back without delay all the detained inhabitants and their boat on several occasions, but it refused to do so, claiming each time they are under "investigation" and "the issue would be solved according to the free expression of their will." Moreover, it resorted to "a defection operation", taking them to different places. It pressured them to remain in south Korea by appeasement, deception and threat. This cannot be interpreted otherwise than a grave provocation to the DPRK. As for what it called "investigation", it was crystal clear that the boat and the inhabitants were adrift on the sea because of the bad weather. So the authorities concerned and media in south Korea also admitted the fact. As for "the settlement of the issue according to the free expression of the will by the drifters," all the inhabitants of the DPRK clearly expressed their intention to go back to the DPRK from the very day of their detention and strongly demanded their repatriation. This is widely known. This notwithstanding, the puppet authorities have held them in custody in groups for dozens of days. Finding it hard to detain them any longer under the pressure of public opinion, they are now working hard to force at least some of them to remain in south Korea under the pretext of "defection". All facts go to clearly prove that the puppet group has so far refused to send them back not because of any "investigation" or "confirmation of their will" but sought an aim to use them as hostages for hatching sinister plots against the DPRK and escalating the confrontation with the DPRK. These outrageous and unethical acts of the puppet group to use even the noble Red Cross humanitarian issue to serve its sinister political purpose are touching off the towering resentment of the people of the DPRK and all other Koreans. This case once again glaringly shows in the eyes of the world how keen the puppet group is on confrontation and plot-breeding. Most of the inhabitants now detained in south Korea are housewives with their little children left behind and so their families are now eagerly waiting for them to safely return home as early as possible. The issue of sending back all the inhabitants now in custody there is a matter related to human rights and a humanitarian issue and, at the same time, it is an important issue related to the north-south relations. Watching how they will settle this case, we will once again judge the south Korean authorities′ stand and attitude. The south Korean authorities should immediately halt their despicable unethical acts contrary to international practice and unpardonable from a humanitarian standpoint and send back home unconditionally and immediately all the unreasonably detained 31 inhabitants and their ship through the waters to which they had gone. -0-