To: His Excellency Phanthong Phommahaxay, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United States of America

2222 S Street NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel. (202) 332-6416

Your Excellency,

Life Funds for North Korean Refugees (LFNKR), a Japanese humanitarian and human rights NPO, strongly request you and your country's government to respect the following:

Three North Korean refugee orphans were sentenced to imprisonment of three months on charges of illegal entry/departure and have been jailed in the capital Vientiane since November last year. The North Korean consul has recently identified them and is likely to send them back to North Korea.

More specifically, on April 6, the three orphans were taken by a prison guard to the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs in charge of foreign nationals, which is about four kilometers from the central area of Vientiane. Reportedly, the North Korean counselor and consul were waiting there for the three and negotiated through a Lao interpreter to have the orphans' custody transferred to them. After that, the three orphans were returned to the Vientiane prison.

First, we are concerned that the three North Korean orphans were sentenced to three months of imprisonment. They are all minors, but they have not yet been released even though they have served their three-month terms.

We are even more concerned that if their custody is officially transferred to North Korea, they will certainly be sent back to North Korea where they will face severe punishment. This is obvious and there are no exceptions. Further, they could actually starve to death if sent back to North Korea, since it is very difficult to get food for survival in that country.

One of our local LFNKR rescue staff members visited the three imprisoned orphans at the end of March to interview them and found that they wish to go and settle in the USA. LFNKR hereby expresses its willingness to accept their custody in cooperation with an American NGO, which is also willing to help them reach the USA.

Two of the three orphans are a sister and a brother, who come from Hoeryon, Hamgyong-bukto, North Korea. The sister, Choi Hyang, is 13 years old (born on Aug. 8, 1993) and the brother, Choi Hyok, is 12 years old (born on March 12, 1995). The third orphan is Choi Hyang-Mi, an 18-year-old girl (born on April 7, 1990), who comes from Musan, Hamgyong-bukto, North Korea.

They were arrested by Lao border guard police last November while crossing River Mekong in an attempt to reach Thailand via Laos. They are still being detained even after serving the full three months of imprisonment on charges of illegal entry/departure.

Following the starvation death of their mother in 1999, the sister and brother went and stayed with relatives, but they were put out on the street because the relatives were having economic difficulties. The sister and brother, now homeless orphans, had to wander the streets, begging for food to survive. In 2002, they entered China together with a few orphan friends and tried to stay there, but their illegal status made staying in China unsafe. In addition, they were permitted no medical treatment or education. This is a major reason they decided to go to Thailand via Laos.

Regarding the eldest of the three, Choi Hyang-Mi, her father died when she was small, so she and her mother left North Korea in 2001 to escape starvation. Her mother became a victim of human trafficking and was sold into a forced marriage to a Chinese man. Choi Hyang-Mi herself also became a victim of human trafficking but was helped out of the situation by a kind Korean Chinese. Her younger brother still remains missing. Her dream is to become a designer, and she has a strong wish to go and settle in the USA.

Please immediately release the above three North Korean refugee orphans, who have served their prison term. Please also help secure their safe passage to the third country where they wish to re-settle. In addition, please fully respect their intentions when they depart from Laos.

Sincerely yours,

Undersigned

Acne Life Insurance Death Insurance Bextra Asbestos Car Insurance Dental Plans 0 Private Jets Debt Consolidation credit Cards Rewards Cards Equity Loans Equity Line credit Loans Mortgages Pay Day Loans Cash Advance 0 Bankruptcy Reduce Debt Refinance Jet Charter Vioxx Wrongful death Legal Advice Taxes Investing Bonds 0 Online Trading IRA Rollover Refinance Quotes Adult Education Distance Learning Alcohol Treatment Rehab Drug Rehab Spyware Cell Phone Plans 0 Calling Cards VOIP Weight Loss Canadian Pharmacy Depression Spam Filter Lasik Facelift Teeth Whitening Annuity 0 Anti Virus Protection Adult Diaper Free credit Report credit Score Satellite Anti Spam Software Dedicated Hosting Domain Name Need Money Bachelor Degree 0 Master Degree Doctorate Degree Work at Home Quick Book Extra Money Eloan Malpractice Lawyer Lenox China Cancer Payperclick 0 Personal Injury Attorney Lexington Law Video Conferencing Transfer Money Windstar Cruise Casinos Online Term Life Online Banking Borrow Money Low Interest credit Cards 0 Personal Domain Name Cellular Phone Rental Internet Broker Trans Union Cheap Hosting University Degrees Online Online Marketing Consolidate Helpdesk Software Web Host 0 Homeowner's Insurance Yellow Page Advertising Travel Insurance Register Domain credit Counseling Email Hosting Business credit Consumer credit Blue Cross Laptop Computer