The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its previous resolutions on North Korea,

-  having regard to the rules of the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol,

-  having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas in recent years tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled from their home country because of the repression and wide-spread hunger and risked their lives in travelling through China to arrive in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea and other south east Asian countries,

B.  whereas Thailand has become an important transit destination for North Koreans fleeing their homeland, thus putting the Thai authorities in a difficult situation vis-à-vis the DPRK, a country with whom they have friendly relations,

C.  whereas on 22 August 2006 the Thai police arrested a group of 175 asylum seekers found in an abandoned house in the Thai capital, Bangkok, where they had been hiding for the previous two months, the group including 37 men, 128 women and 10 children,

D.  whereas these asylum seekers, who form the largest group of North Koreans ever arrested in Thailand, were charged with illegal entry and their case was taken before a court, where they were fined 6000 Bahts ($160 each) and put into jail for 30 days because they were unable to pay,

E.  whereas 16 members of this group have been granted refugee status by the Bangkok office of the UNHCR and are scheduled to leave Thailand in a few days for South Korea, which grants citizenship to defectors from the North,

F.  whereas the situation of the remaining asylum seekers remains precarious and needs to be resolved rapidly,

1.  Deplores, as it did in its previous resolutions, the fact that thousands of North Korean citizens flee their country because of repression, hunger and economic decline;

2.  Urges the Thai authorities not to repatriate the North Korean refugees, as they and their families will face dire consequences;

3.  Demands that Thailand, which is well-known for its long tradition of hospitality towards refugees and which is a responsible member of the international community, in close cooperation with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations, try to find a rapid and acceptable solution for the North Korean refugees by sending them to a third country of their choice after the expiry of their 30 day jail sentence;

4.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Government of the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.