North Korean defectors vow to disrupt Olympic torch relay in the South

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
North Korean defectors vowed to disrupt Sunday's South Korean leg of the Olympic torch relay in the latest controversy to hit the flame's protest-marred world tour on its way to Beijing. The defectors said they are protesting China's repatriation of refugees back to North Korea, where they could face execution. The North Koreans added to the chorus of criticism that has dogged the Olympic flame on its way to the games in August in the Chinese capital. Other demonstrators have decried China's recent crackdown on protests in Tibet and Beijing's overall human rights record. The latest protests came Saturday in Japan where Tibet supporters threw eggs and tomatoes but were outnumbered by Chinese boosters welcoming the flame. Han Chang Kwon, head of a coalition of groups representing North Korean defectors in South Korea, told The Associated Press that Sunday's defectors' protest could become violent. He provided no details.