According to the aid organization called International Campaign to Block the Repatriation of North Korean Refugees, a group of 100 men and 314 women began a hunger strike on Tuesday night, protesting the poor conditions in the detention center and South Korea's alleged delay in accepting them.

This file photo dated August 24, 2006 shows North Korean refugees sitting inside a court cell in Bangkok, Thailand./AFP

Peter Jung, a minister who is involved with the group, said the defectors launched the protest because the South Korea government "refused to issue air tickets" to the defectors for South Korea "for unknown reasons" and refused to take some who already had air tickets.

Local news sources said that 20 defectors in two groups were scheduled to leave for South Korea recently, but their departure was delayed for some reason.

The defectors appear to have timed their hunger strike to coincide with "North Korea Freedom Week," which is being observed this week in the U.S., to draw international attention to the issue.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said his ministry was talking with Thai authorities to resolve the matter. A government official said, "The government has a policy to assist and protect North Korean defectors and the policy has not been changed."

Another government official said that it is working with the Thai government to address the issue of overcrowding of North Koreans in Thai immigration facilities.

Thai authorities are reportedly stepping up immigration controls to stem the rising number of North Korean defectors entering the country through China and Laos.

(englishnews@chosun.com )