N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

Oz activist to stay away from boat race

Australian activist Trenton Oldfield plans to stay away from this year's Oxford-Cambridge boat race. Source: AAP

THE Australian man jailed for disrupting the historic Oxford-Cambridge boat race says he remains a committed protester but plans to stay away from this year's event.

Trenton Oldfield made world headlines in April 2012 when he swam between the two rowing crews in the River Thames in a protest against elitism.

The London-based Australian was subsequently found guilty of causing a public nuisance and sentenced to six months in prison.

He was released after seven weeks wearing an electronic tag.

Mr Oldfield said upon his release in December he "would do it again".

But pressed by AAP on Wednesday to confirm he had no plans for action at Sunday's 159th running of the race the activist said: "Correct".

The 36-year-old, who has this week launched a book entitled The Queen vs Trenton Oldfield: A Prison Diary, said he remained involved in other protest activity and stood by his actions during last year's race.

"100 per cent no regrets," Mr Oldfield said.

"I've still been protesting since I've come out of prison. I've been on lots of protests.

"I don't think that I should have gone to prison or been in a criminal situation for protests."

Mr Oldfield said writing the book would help raise money after he was also ordered to pay STG750 ($A1100) in costs over last year's incident.

He said the book was designed to challenge "preconceived ideas held about prisoners and prisons" as well as discussing issues such as criminal class and the criminalisation of protesters.

"Nobody could actually tell me what the point of going to prison was," Mr Oldfield said.

"Nobody could tell me I was going to be rehabilitated, or if it was punishment.

"Nobody was able to actually say what was meant to happen to me after being there."

Organisers have pledged increased security for Sunday's race and appealed for no repeats of last year's disruption.

Mr Oldfield targeted the 2012 race as a symbol of elitism and London's inequality problems.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here

N Korea executes four refugees - activist

NORTH Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China, a South Korean activist says.

China has repatriated 44 people in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoul-based defectors' group.

Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar.

South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees.

Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South's unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years. Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches.

Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticised by international rights groups.

Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry.

View the original article here