ID :
11856
Tue, 07/08/2008 - 11:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/11856
The shortlink copeid
Abductees' kin rap gov't over plan to lift N. Korea sanctions
TOKYO, July 8 (Kyodo) - Relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea and their supporters criticized the Japanese government Monday over its plan to lift some sanctions imposed on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's promise to reinvestigate theabduction issue.
In an emergency gathering in Tokyo, the relatives and their supporters -- including ruling and opposition members of the Diet -- adopted a resolution urging the government not to lift any sanctions until North Korea returns ''all victims'' of abduction by its agents.
''The sanctions, which are major diplomatic cards, are about to be used wastefully,'' said Shigeo Iizuka, older brother of abductee Yaeko Taguchi and head of a group of relatives of people abducted by North Korean agents.
''North Korea is saying it will reinvestigate, but we know that they have all of the abduction victims under their control,'' Iizuka said. ''We have been fooled many times already, so my feeling is, 'Not again'.''Kyoko Nakayama, special adviser to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, assured participants at the event that the current phase is a ''word for word'' process -- North Korea's promise to reinvestigate being matched by Japan's intention to partially lift sanctions -- and that actual action will depend on progress in bilateral negotiations.
''We shall never lift sanctions solely in response to (North Korea's) word,'' said Nakayama, who admitted that she had been surprised when she heard that Tokyo had decided to ease sanctions on Pyongyang.
Nakayama promised to do her best so that the Japanese government will choose policies ''that are not wrong'' and emphasized that Tokyo should not make ''halfway compromises'' when negotiating with Pyongyang.
In bilateral talks in Beijing in June, North Korea promised to reinvestigate the abduction issue after having said repeatedly that the matter had been settled. The Japanese government responded by saying it will partially lift the sanctions it has imposed on Pyongyang.
About 600 people attended the Tokyo gathering, which was jointly organized by the group of abductees' relatives, a nongovernmental organization supporting them and a cross-party parliamentarian league aiming to rescue Japanese people abducted by North Korea.
In an emergency gathering in Tokyo, the relatives and their supporters -- including ruling and opposition members of the Diet -- adopted a resolution urging the government not to lift any sanctions until North Korea returns ''all victims'' of abduction by its agents.
''The sanctions, which are major diplomatic cards, are about to be used wastefully,'' said Shigeo Iizuka, older brother of abductee Yaeko Taguchi and head of a group of relatives of people abducted by North Korean agents.
''North Korea is saying it will reinvestigate, but we know that they have all of the abduction victims under their control,'' Iizuka said. ''We have been fooled many times already, so my feeling is, 'Not again'.''Kyoko Nakayama, special adviser to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, assured participants at the event that the current phase is a ''word for word'' process -- North Korea's promise to reinvestigate being matched by Japan's intention to partially lift sanctions -- and that actual action will depend on progress in bilateral negotiations.
''We shall never lift sanctions solely in response to (North Korea's) word,'' said Nakayama, who admitted that she had been surprised when she heard that Tokyo had decided to ease sanctions on Pyongyang.
Nakayama promised to do her best so that the Japanese government will choose policies ''that are not wrong'' and emphasized that Tokyo should not make ''halfway compromises'' when negotiating with Pyongyang.
In bilateral talks in Beijing in June, North Korea promised to reinvestigate the abduction issue after having said repeatedly that the matter had been settled. The Japanese government responded by saying it will partially lift the sanctions it has imposed on Pyongyang.
About 600 people attended the Tokyo gathering, which was jointly organized by the group of abductees' relatives, a nongovernmental organization supporting them and a cross-party parliamentarian league aiming to rescue Japanese people abducted by North Korea.
