While mystery continues to shroud the May 8 incident at the Japanese Consulate General in the Chinese city of Shenyang, in which police entered the compound and seized five North Korean asylum seekers, the spotlight has fallen again on Japan's reluctance to accept refugees.
The 1951 Convention on Status of Refugees, which Japan ratified in 1982, obliges signatories to protect asylum seekers who fear persecution in their home countries.
In reality, however, the fates of refugees vary widely depending on where they seek protection.