Human Rights Watch (HRW) has sent letters to South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging that nine defectors who crossed the border into China not be repatriated to North Korea.

Following the press release issued last Saturday, HRW said Seoul should display its leadership by pressing Beijing to reveal their whereabouts.

Nine defectors, including an 11-month old baby, were caught on the Vietnam-China border last month.

“According to the latest information we have, this group was last being held at Tumen, in Jilin Province, at a military garrison near the China-North Korea border. A forced return could happen