Chinese fishing boats subjecting North Koreans to years of forced labor
In violation of UN bans a recent report found members of the crew on Chinese fishing vessels were North Koreans working under forced labor. ABC News described how, according to interviews in the report, North Koreans were subjected to abuse and were regularly moved from ship to ship to cover up the illegal scheme.
Trapped at sea
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a London-based group specializing in environmental and human rights issues, has issued a new report accusing China of using North Koreans on their tuna fishing boats. Farming out North Korean citizens to China by the authoritarian regime is well documented. Accordingly, North Koreans have been found working in factories, agriculture, and on the battlefield, to name a few. However, the EJF report reveals a new low.
EJF said in the report:
“The testimony received from Indonesian and Filipino crew members suggests that…North Koreans on board were forced to work for as many as 10 years at sea — in some instances without ever stepping foot on land,”
Significantly, the report draws on interviews with 19 Indonesians and Filipinos who worked alongside the North Koreans. Those interviewed said the North Koreans were passed from vessel to vessel to prevent them from returning to land. Sometimes for as many as 10 years. Further, their North Korean shipmates were not allowed to leave the vessel during any port visits or to use mobile phones.