Vietnam denies role in defection of North Korea refugees
Vietnam has denied it was involved in the secret airlift of more than 460 North Korean refugees to South Korea in July. The evacuation angered North Korea, which called the incident "premeditated abduction and terrorism".
The South Korean government has refused to say where the North Koreans were airlifted from, referring to sensitive ties the South East Asian country concerned has with North Korea.However, diplomatic sources in Vietnam and human rights activists say it was Vietnam.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency this week said the North Korean ambassador to an unidentified South East Asian country that was involved in the defections had been recalled. A statement by Vietnam's Foreign Ministry says the information is "completely baseless".
ABC Radio Australia News - September 2, 2004
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