If Laos chooses to surrender the escapees to the North Korean embassy, they will almost certainly face either a long imprisonment in the Gulag or a death sentence. They are currently being held at the Immigration Detention Center in Pang Mong, Luan Brabang Province of Laos.

The names of the refugees are:

1. Cha Song-chol, male, husband, 53 years old

2. Cheon Yong-kum, female, wife, 58 years old

3. Cha Kwang-su, male, son, 25 years old

4. Kim Kyong-suk, female, 71 years old

5. Chu Hi-ok, female, 40 years old

6. Yim Jong-suk, female, 36 years old

7. Shim Yong-kum, female, 35 years old

8. Park Yong-nan, female, 26 years old

9. Jeon Song-hi, female, 26 years old

10. Kim Jong-ae, female, 35 years old


Names of the South Korean aid workers in detention:

1. Kim Hee-tae, male, South Korean

2. Shin Sang Hwa, male, South Korean

International Christian Concern strongly urges all concerned individuals to contact the Laotian Embassy or Consulate in their country to protest and ask for the release of the North and South Koreans:

Lao Embassy in the US

Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic 2222 S Street NW Washington DC 20008 Tel. (202) 332-6416 Fax: (202) 332-4923

Lao Embassy in Belgium

Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Avenue Brabançonne 19 1000 Brussels Tel: +32-(0)2-740.09.50 - Fax: +32-(0)2-734.16.16 Email: Ambalaobx@yucom.be

Lao Embassy in France (covering the UK as well)

His Excellency Mr Soutsakhone Pathammavong Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic 74 Avenue Raymond-Poincaré 75116 Paris Fax: 00 33 145530298 Email: ambalaoparis@wanadoo.fr

more information: International Christian Concern