A United Nations human rights investigator urged China to protect North Korean refugees instead of sending them home, where he said they are certain to be persecuted. According to media reports, the UN envoy, Vitit Muntarbhorn, said the international community should pressure China to fulfill its obligations under the International Refugee Convention, to which it is party. US Senator Sam Brownback has threatened to seek sanctions against China if it did not stop repatriating North Korean refugees.