Mainly North Koreans at Canadian embassy in Beijing: ministry

MONTREAL, Sept 29 (AFP) - Most of the 44 people who scaled the walls of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday were North Korean, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said.
"We we are currently trying to determine their objectives," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Kimberly Phillips. "It is too early to speculate. We are giving them mattresses and food. The majority is North Korean."
Canadian officials were still in the process of verifying their identities, said Phillips, who earlier had said one of the 44 had been injured.
Phillips said six of the group are children.
The 44 climbed the walls in what is believed to have been a bid to secure political asylum in a third country.
The spokeswoman said similar situations had occurred at the embassy in Beijing twice in the past two years.
"In May 2002, two North Koreans stayed three days and then left China," she said. "In June 2002, two North Koreans left China after spending two weeks."
Phillips declined to say which country had taken in the four, saying only, "We are confident that none of these four were returned to North Korea."