October 19/2004

Ethiopian refugees in South Korea have sent out an SOS message exposing their terrible plight in South Korea. The number of Ethiopian refugees in South Korea is not many but those that have landed there and had asked for asylum are denied all rights and made to suffer. The message from the concerned refugees puts it as follows:

"We have no shelter, we have no financial assistance. We have no work permit. The South Korean immigration officers are violating the rights of asylum seekers. They torture us in many ways, they insult out people, insult our families and us. They have rejected our asylum demands and are threatening to deport us back to Ethiopia. The UNHCR in South Korea is doing the same as the government itself. "

According to the message on Ethiopian refugee, Ato Abadi, who had been deported to Addis Ababa, has been killed a week after his arrival and imprisonment there. The South Korean government, that has conveniently forgotten the sacrifice Ethiopians made fighting for South Korea, is presently forging close ties with the repressive regime of Meles Zenawi and is turning against the rights of the refugees.

SOCEPP is sending its protest to the South Korean government and calling on Ethiopians in the Diaspora to send their protests to the nearest South Korean embassy or consulate and also the UNHCR in Geneva.

Send your messages to the South Korean Ministry of Justice, department of Immigration (imm.mog@mog.gr.kr); to the South Korean representative at the UN (Korea@un.int) and to the South Korean embassy to the USA (political_usa@mofat.go.kr) and to web@mofat.go.kr

SOCEPP