Rescue Abductees 救う会 全国協議会

(*This is a draft translation of Rescue Abductees Japanese newsletter posted July 16, 2009)

Interim reports for the sanction against North Korea simulation project and the special assistance for the victims of abduction project were made at today’s session of LDP Special Committee on North Korean Abduction Issue (Chairman: FURUYA, Keiji). Officials from the MOFA and Cabinet Office also made remarks regarding measures against North Korea during the session.

Mr. Iizuka (FAVKN Chairman), Mr. Masumoto (FAVKN Secretary Gen.), Professor Nishioka (NRKN Acting Chairman), Mr. Hirata (NRKN Sec. Gen) attended the session along with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and many other parliamentarians and officials from relevant ministries.

Following are the summaries of some of the attendees' comments:

LDP Special Committee – Call for further sanctions against North Korea
Mr. Furuya: Unfortunately, a critical bill to implement North Korean cargo inspections is about to be scrapped. We will work for the LDP manifesto to reflect our firm stance against North Korea.

Mr. Abe: Japan has been consistent since February 2007 six-party talks not to provide oil unless there is progress on the abduction issue. If we had provided oil to the state, that may have assisted missile development of North Korea.

Mr. Iizuka: I am concerned about the outcome of the general election. The fact that Japan is unable to inspect cargos (since the bill is being scrapped) following the U.N. resolution is extremely unfortunate. I strongly hope that the progress of the abduction is promised in the LDP manifesto.

Mr. Nishioka: We urge the government to be creative for the early implementation of the cargo inspection. Our organizations plan to publish the evaluation of the different parties’ policies regarding the abduction issue and the outcome of a survey for the candidates.

Committee members working to impose further sanctions against North Korea reviewed options for early implementation of the cargo inspection, prevention of access of critical technologies, financial sanction, and other sanctions that Japan itself could impose against North Korea. The committee will also be preparing for future U.N. resolutions and the conditions after Kim Jon-il is no longer in power.

Assistance for the victims of abduction in Japan will be extended for another five years, continued investigation of the missing Japanese members suspected of abduction were also agreed to be included in the final report of this committee.