ID :
15878
Thu, 08/14/2008 - 20:19
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/15878
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Kin hopeful reinvestigation will bring abductees back from N. Korea
TOKYO, Aug. 14 Kyodo - Relatives of Japanese nationals taken by North Korean agents expressed hope Thursday that circumstances are moving positively toward the return of the missing abductees, after they were briefed by the Foreign Ministry about the agreements with North Korea on Pyongyang's reinvestigation of the cases.
''We can finally see the current flowing toward a resolution,'' said Shigeo Iizuka, the 70-year-old elder brother of abductee Yaeko Taguchi and head of a group formed by the relatives, after a meeting with Akitaka Saiki, directorgeneral of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau.
Similarly, Shigeru Yokota, 75, father of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted in 1977 at age 13, said, ''If the agreements are faithfully carried out, I believe that, unlike in the past, there must be significant results.'' The relatives said at a news conference that Saiki, Japan's chief negotiator with North Korea on the abduction and nuclear issues, assured them that the so-called reinvestigation by the North will ''not simply be a reinvestigation, but will start from scratch.'' This implies that the investigation results that North Korea has claimed so far, that Megumi and the other abductees are dead, will be taken back and theinvestigation will start afresh.
Separately, Kyoko Nakayama, minister in charge of the abduction issue, said, ''I too will do my best, as the reinvestigation moves forward from scratch, to create a situation in which North Korea will be able to make a firm decision to return the abduction victims to Japan.'' Nakayama, speaking to reporters after attending the meeting between Saiki and the families, also said, ''This is not the end of the negotiations and definitely not the end of everything. I believe the families understand this too clearly.'' ''From here on, it will depend on whether North Korea takes its promises seriously and acts upon them,'' she said. ''I think the really tough negotiations are just about to begin. Now comes the important part.'' Meanwhile, the family members also had their concerns, such as the agreement tocomplete the reinvestigation by fall.
Iizuka said, ''How much truth can be found in such a short period of time? We must pay attention to how the government proceeds with the lifting of sanctions.'' Tokyo agreed on Wednesday to lift two of its sanctions against North Korea oncePyongyang begins reinvestigating the cases.
''It is regrettable that the sanctions will be lifted,'' said Teruaki Masumoto, the 52-year-old secretary general of the group, known formally as the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. ''It seems that the negotiations are going at North Korea's pace.''Japan formally recognizes 17 Japanese as victims of North Korean abduction.
Five have returned to Japan, but Pyongyang says eight others, including Masumoto's sister Rumiko and Megumi Yokota, are dead and it has no record ofthe remaining four having ever entered the country.
''We can finally see the current flowing toward a resolution,'' said Shigeo Iizuka, the 70-year-old elder brother of abductee Yaeko Taguchi and head of a group formed by the relatives, after a meeting with Akitaka Saiki, directorgeneral of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau.
Similarly, Shigeru Yokota, 75, father of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted in 1977 at age 13, said, ''If the agreements are faithfully carried out, I believe that, unlike in the past, there must be significant results.'' The relatives said at a news conference that Saiki, Japan's chief negotiator with North Korea on the abduction and nuclear issues, assured them that the so-called reinvestigation by the North will ''not simply be a reinvestigation, but will start from scratch.'' This implies that the investigation results that North Korea has claimed so far, that Megumi and the other abductees are dead, will be taken back and theinvestigation will start afresh.
Separately, Kyoko Nakayama, minister in charge of the abduction issue, said, ''I too will do my best, as the reinvestigation moves forward from scratch, to create a situation in which North Korea will be able to make a firm decision to return the abduction victims to Japan.'' Nakayama, speaking to reporters after attending the meeting between Saiki and the families, also said, ''This is not the end of the negotiations and definitely not the end of everything. I believe the families understand this too clearly.'' ''From here on, it will depend on whether North Korea takes its promises seriously and acts upon them,'' she said. ''I think the really tough negotiations are just about to begin. Now comes the important part.'' Meanwhile, the family members also had their concerns, such as the agreement tocomplete the reinvestigation by fall.
Iizuka said, ''How much truth can be found in such a short period of time? We must pay attention to how the government proceeds with the lifting of sanctions.'' Tokyo agreed on Wednesday to lift two of its sanctions against North Korea oncePyongyang begins reinvestigating the cases.
''It is regrettable that the sanctions will be lifted,'' said Teruaki Masumoto, the 52-year-old secretary general of the group, known formally as the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. ''It seems that the negotiations are going at North Korea's pace.''Japan formally recognizes 17 Japanese as victims of North Korean abduction.
Five have returned to Japan, but Pyongyang says eight others, including Masumoto's sister Rumiko and Megumi Yokota, are dead and it has no record ofthe remaining four having ever entered the country.
