An organisation dedicated to helping North Korean refugees says police in Laos are demanding US$1,000 to hand over three children who were attempting to flee North Korea.
A spokesman for the Tokyo-based Life Funds for North Korean Refugees said it was refusing to pay, saying it feared setting off a 'bounty hunt' for North Korean refugees.
Hiroshi Kato, chairman of the Tokyo-based Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, met the children - a 12-year-old boy, his 14-year-old sister and another girl of 17 - in a prison and said they were 'in a panic' after a visit by North Korean consulate staff, who threatened severe punishment when they are repatriated.
They were arrested 14 weeks ago while crossing the Mekong River into Laos with the intention of continuing on to Thailand and, ultimately, starting new lives in the US. Their three-month prison sentences have concluded, but they remain incarcerated after the group's refusal to pay for their release.
'Groups like ours are short of resources, and we are very concerned that paying bribes or bounty money could set a precedent that would see Laotian border police hunting down North Korean refugees,' said Kim Sang-hun, an international human rights volunteer from South Korea. 'It's a lot of money by local standards.'
Mr Kato said: 'Under North Korea's criminal code, a sentence of 11 years' forced labour is possible, although they could also be sentenced to death.'