Chinese dissident pleads with Korea to not deport him

A 68-year-old Chinese dissident who fled his homeland in a small rubber boat is pleading with the Korean government not to send him back to China, where his supporters say he would face torture and lifelong imprisonment.

Dong Guangping, a former police officer turned democracy activist who has twice been forcibly returned to China and jailed, was found by a fishing boat about 10 nautical miles (11.5 miles) off Taean County, South Chungcheong, at around 9:36 p.m. on May 25 and handed to the coast guard. He is the latest Chinese dissident to attempt the dangerous sea crossing to Korea in search of refuge.

Sheng Xue, a Chinese-Canadian activist who learned of Dong's plight in October 2015 when Thai police detained him, brought his latest escape to the attention of the New York Times and other foreign media.

"I have been actively working to rescue Mr. Dong ever since," she said in a written interview with the JoongAng Ilbo.

Dong's destination this time was Japan.

"Mr. Dong did initially plan to travel to Japan, knowing that it would require traveling over 700 kilometers [435 miles] by sea," Sheng said. "However, after navigating about 300 kilometers, he said the engine of his rubber boat encountered problems. At the same time, he was completely exhausted and began experiencing hallucinations."

"He had originally been heading southeast, but he turned directly east to approach the coast of South Korea," she said.

Sheng said Dong reached a fishing boat off Taean and shouted to its crew, "Help me, help me. Call police, call police." About an hour later, a coast guard boat arrived, and officers handcuffed him and brought him to the Taean Coast Guard Station.

"I believe his current mental and physical conditions are quite good," Sheng said. "However, he is anxiously and eagerly hoping to be able to come to Canada as soon as possible."

"If Mr. Dong Guangping is deported back to China, he will be re-arrested, tortured, sentenced and imprisoned," Sheng said.  "It is highly likely that he would never walk out of prison again, never see light and freedom, and his life would be completely ruined."

Dong was dismissed from working as a police officer in 1999 after signing a letter tied to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, Sheng said, and was detained again in 2014 for taking part in an event marking the anniversary. He fled to Thailand with his family in September 2015, only for Thai authorities to arrest him and force him back to China. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Amnesty International condemned Thailand at the time, calling it unjust to deport a recognized refugee.

"I contacted several Canadian Members of Parliament with whom I was familiar, officials in charge of China affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs, and some influential human rights organizations," Sheng said. Canada agreed to resettle Dong and his family, but on the night he signed his resettlement papers, he was taken from the Thai detention center, deported to China and later sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

After his release, Dong escaped to Vietnam and spent more than two years in hiding before Vietnamese authorities arrested him in August 2022 and returned him to China once more. Out of prison again, he began plotting another escape with Sheng and other dissidents, this time modeling his attempt on Quan Ping, also known by his Korean name Kwon Pyong, a Chinese activist who crossed the Yellow Sea by jet ski in 2023.

Now in Korea, Dong is being sheltered at an undisclosed location with help from refugee groups, those assisting him said.

Dong's wife and daughter were resettled in Canada, and he relayed his own appeal to the JoongAng Ilbo through Sheng.

"I believe that South Korea is a democratic country and a signatory to the Refugee Convention, and will not deport me back to China," he said. "I know that my journey to Canada also depends on the attitude of the Canadian government and the UNHCR's restoration of my refugee status."

The Taean Coast Guard referred Dong to prosecutors without detention on June 10 on suspicion of violating the Immigration Act. The coast guard had sought a warrant to detain him, but the Daejeon District Court's Seosan branch rejected the request on May 28, finding little risk that he would flee or destroy evidence. He is still likely to face punishment if he is indicted.

Quan's attempt offers a possible template for what comes next. Detained and indicted for illegal entry after his 2023 crossing, he was released with a suspended sentence from the Incheon District Court and later sought asylum abroad. A public-interest law group in Korea is handling Dong's refugee claim and related legal support.

BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]