Japan to decide basic guideline for new sanctions on N. Korea Friday+

TOKYO, April 6 Kyodo - The Cabinet will decide Friday its basic guideline for new sanctions on North Korea after Pyongyang launched a rocket Sunday despite Japan's repeated warnings against doing so, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Monday.

In a related development, the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and
the New Komeito party submitted a draft Diet resolution Monday to the House of
Representatives Steering Committee, condemning North Korea's rocket launch and
calling for the strengthening of Japan's economic sanctions on the country.
Prime Minister Taro Aso told reporters Monday evening that the government is
''basically looking to extend its ongoing sanctions, due to expire April 13,
for one year rather than six months.''
Japan imposed sanctions on North Korea, including an embargo on the
Mangyongbong-92 ferry, after Pyongyang test-fired ballistic missiles in July
2006, and placed a ban on imports following its nuclear test in October that
year. The sanctions have been extended every six months since.
Also on Monday, an LDP panel on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals
decided on a draft plan for additional sanctions including a ban on exports to
North Korea. The panel is expected to notify Kawamura of the plan Tuesday.
Kawamura noted that the government is trying to set out new sanctions before
the current ones expire, while Aso said he will decide on the matter ''taking
into account what answers the U.N. Security Council will come up with.''
Japan has said that it wants the Security Council to adopt a new resolution
against North Korea, but it remains unclear whether it can obtain the consent
of China and Russia, veto-wielding permanent council members who are cautious
about antagonizing Pyongyang.
''What now comes at the top of the agenda is to swiftly send a concerted
message by the U.N. Security Council to North Korea,'' Aso told reporters.
''Otherwise, an erroneous message will be conveyed to North Korea and we need
to avert such a situation.''
The Japanese leader said he will continue seeking the understanding of China
and Russia to get a new resolution adopted at the world body.
At a meeting of LDP executives earlier in the day, Aso expressed his
determination to ''respond sternly'' to North Korea's missile threat in order
to ''ensure Japan's security and safety.''
Concerning the Diet resolution, the ruling coalition aims to hold a vote at a
lower house plenary session slated for Tuesday.
The resolution argues that the rocket launch ''poses a significant threat to
peace and safety in the entire Northeast Asian region and cannot be tolerated
no matter what North Korea claims.''
Concerning the rocket launch, Kawamura said Japan has yet to confirm whether
the rocket carried a communications satellite as the reclusive nation asserts
or was a ballistic missile as Japan and some other countries suspect.
''NORAD and U.S. Northern Command reported that the launch was a failure and I
understand that this is an important piece of information, but the Japanese
government is also conducting its own analysis,'' he said, referring to the
report by North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command
officials that no object entered orbit after the launch.
The Japanese government will lift its high alert advisory after it conducts a
further check on the situation across Japan, the top Japanese government
spokesman said, adding that no damage has been reported so far.
Immediately after the rocket launch, Japan lodged a stern protest with North
Korea, arguing that the launch was a clear violation of U.N. Security Council
resolutions, including one banning the country from any ballistic missile
activity.
==Kyodo