The Rising Stakes of Refugee Issues in China

628 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 | Friday, May 1, 2009 - 10:30am to 12:00pm
Transcript (PDF) (Text)

At this CECC Roundtable, a panel of experts discussed the Chinese government's treatment of and policies toward asylum seekers and refugee communities, particularly North Koreans fleeing persecution and starvation in their homeland, and assessed Beijing's compliance with international laws and conventions that protect refugees. What particular problems does North Korea present for the Chinese government and the international community in the area of human rights and refugee protection and resettlement? How does the Chinese government handle Tibetans and Uyghurs seeking asylum abroad? What measures might encourage Beijing to comply with its obligations to refugees under international law?

Panelists: 

Mr. Joel Charny, Vice President for Policy, Refugees International

Dr. Suzanne Scholte, North Korean refugee expert; President, Defense Forum Foundation; Chairman, North Korea Freedom Coalition

Ms. Mary Beth Markey, Tibetan refugee expert; Vice President for Advocacy and Communications, International Campaign for Tibet

Dr. Sean R. Roberts, Uyghur refugee expert; Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University