A brief of an urgent appeal for North Korean activist facing trial in China, from Norbert Vollertsen:
A very brave Nth Korean man, Mr Yoo Sang-joon, tragically lost his young son as he tried to escape from China and has since been trying to rescue other North Korean refugees from danger in China.. Sadly he was arrested near the Mongolian border and we have just heard that Mr Yoo is due to be tried in China on 26th November 2007.
Activists in South Korea consider this a unique case, highlighting both the tragic background and the redemptive sacrificial motivation of Mr Yoo. Clearly his own loss has motivated immense humanitarian concern for others at risk and we sincerely hope that China will not punish Mr Yoo for simply seeking to implement the protection which China should be providing as a party to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its Protocol.
The trial date has come unusually quickly and it is felt that the Chinese may be seeking to deal with the issue swiftly before further international attention is attracted, especially in the light of
the forthcoming Beijing Olympics.
We would be most grateful if you could write to the Chinese authorities to convey your concern for Mr Yoo as a matter of urgency before the trial on Monday. Addresses are provided below.
Lobbying addresses:
Her Excellency Ms Fu Ying,
Ambassador,
Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the UK,
49-51 Portland Place,
London W1N 1JL
> (Salutation: Your Excellency)
> Fax: +44 (0)20 7636 2981 / 5578
> E-mail: chinaemb_uk@mfa.gov.cn
> Tel: +44 (0)20 7299 4049, 07970 292561 (24 hours)
>
> If you are writing from outside the UK please refer
> to the following
> link for the relevant embassy address:
> http://www.china.org.cn/english/Embassies/197333.htm
