RescueAbductees meet with UK ambassador to Pyongyang
Posted On 2009年10月24日土曜日 at 時刻: 19:08 by RescueAbducteesMembers from the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN: “The Families’ Association”), and the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN: “Rescue Abductees”) met with Peter Hughes, the UK’s Ambassador to Pyongyang at the British embassy in Tokyo, on October 23, 2009.
Members from our organizations attending the meeting were Shigeo Iizuka, Shigeru and Sakie Yokota, Teruaki Masumoto, Tsutomu Nishioka, and Ryutaro Hirata.
Comments from Ambassador Hughes –
I became the ambassador to Pyongyang thirteen months ago. This is my first visit to Japan since arriving to Pyongyang. I have been exchanging information with the Japanese government on this trip. I have raised the issue of abduction to North Korean officials. I wanted to meet with the relatives of the abductees directly to know more about this issue so that I am able to have deeper talks with Pyongyang officials.
I feel the despair of the family members of the abductees deeply and wish that I know how I could contribute to the resolution of this issue. I am free to go in and out of Pyongyang, but restricted to where I go and with whom I meet. Once I am back in Pyongyang, I would like to demand North Korea to treat this issue seriously and work for an early resolution.
Explanations from members of our organization –
We informed the ambassador on the gravity of this issue and that the victims come from all over the world. The number of known victims and the motives of abduction were shared. Japanese abductees had trained North Korean spies that bombed the South Korean airliner to disguise as Japanese. This is an example of how the victims have been forced to contribute to Pyongyang terrorist activities. We also explained to the ambassador that Pyongyang has been providing false evidence to prove that our family members are dead. Those include false remains and death certificates. We also introduced our free North Korea radio programs where we send information of this side of the world to North Korea. We asked the ambassador for continued support including sharing of information and protection of the victims
Protest against gathering to hail Kim Jon-Il
Posted On 2009年10月20日火曜日 at 時刻: 17:00 by RescueAbducteesMembers from the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN: “The Families’ Association”), and the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN: “Rescue Abductees”) joined 4 other NGOs to protest against a celebration for North Korean regime held in Tokyo, on Saturday, October 17th.
Here is a report regarding the event:
Demonstration Held Against Silent Chongryon
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=5546
More pictures from an individual at the protest:
http://hanausagi.iza.ne.jp/blog/entry/1275530/
Senior Japanese Official Seek Global Intelligence Support On North Korea Abductions
Posted On 2009年10月13日火曜日 at 時刻: 9:41 by RescueAbducteesHiroshi Nakai, minister in charge of the abudction issue and also the chairman of the National Public Safety Commission in Japan sought cooperation at a Interpol gathering in Singapore.
Here are newswires pieces regarding his calls:
DJ Japan seeks global support on North Korea abductions (Dow Jones newswire)
http://english.capital.gr/News.asp?id=830327
Japan seeks global support on N. Korea abductions (Agence France-Presse)
http://news.sg.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3635249
Meeting with the Family Association and Rescue Abductees
Posted On 2009年10月2日金曜日 at 時刻: 12:28 by RescueAbducteesHatoyama: Fresh approach on Abduction Issue
Meeting with the Family Association and Rescue Abductees
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Hiroshi Nakai, National Public Safety Commission Chairman and Minister of State for the abduction issue met with members from the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN: “The Families’ Association”), the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN: “Rescue Abductees”), and Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to North Korea (COMJAN) on Tuesday, September 29th.
(The list of attendees of the meetings will be at the bottom of this article)
PM Hatoyama: Different approach than the previous government – meeting with kin of abductees.
The meeting on Tueday began at the Cabinet Office where Mr. Hiroshi Nakai explained Mr. Hatoyama’s mentioning of the abduction issue in various occasions during his trip in New York. “Mr. Hatoyama spoke about the abduction issue in his address at the U.N. as well as in his meetings with President Obama, President Hu, President Medvedev, President Lee, and Prime Minister Rudd.” Mr. Nakai said that Mr. Hatoyama’s efforts in New York made it easier for him to begin his work. In regards to the organization of the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue, Mr. Nakai said “it is still yet to be determined.” Support for the relatives of the abductees will remain as it is, but Mr. Nakai is seeking the best way to “collect information.” The way information has been gathered “cannot remain the same and continue to waste more years.” He plans to change the organization to gather information.
Prime Minister Hatoyama met with abductees’ families and members of the supporting organization at the Prime Minister’s Office. To start off the meeting, Mr. Hatoyama said, "Needless to say, an issue of this kind can only be resolved through the government's proactive efforts.” “The issue cannot be resolved when Japan is depending on other nations. This new administration wants to demonstrate that it is going to tackle this issue proactively.” Mr. Hatoyama expressed his strong determination in his statement.
In response to the positive comments and encouragements from the family members, Mr. Hatoyama said that he means what he said. “We must demonstrate that this is a new administration. I have been explaining my policy of “fraternity” and by this, I mean that I want to lead a government that values human lives. I cannot let this issue continue as it is when I believe that human lives must be valued.”
In the meeting, Mr. Teruaki Masumoto, General Secretary of the Families’ Association, expressed his concern regarding the possible lifting of sanctions against North Korea. Mr. Masumoto spoke about the agreement made last June between MOFA and North Korea that Japan would lift sanctions on North Korean ships if North Korea began reinvestigation of abductees. The sanctions on North Korean ships entering Japanese ports was a result of the long-fought battle by the abductees’ families and supporting organizations and Mr. Masumoto explained that all the family members feel that it should not be lifted easily. “Until all the victims return to Japan, the sanction on Mangyongbong should not be lifted.” In response to Mr. Masumoto’s comments, Mr. Hatoyama said that lifting sanctions would only bring the same outcomes from the North Korean regime as we have seen for years. He said that the new administration must deal with North Korea with new ways and that Japan should not easily compromise to North Korea.
Mr. Nakai said that before coming to power, he has been criticizing the government of being soft on North Korea. “I now have that responsibility of criticizing the former administration.” Following Mr. Hatoyama’s strong will to resolve this issue, Mr. Nakai also expressed his determination as the minister responsible for the abduction issue. He also said he would like to visit South Korea before the Diet session convenes and has been contacting President Lee’s brother. “I will be making every effort to resolve this issue.
Below is the list of people who attended the meeting.
Families’ Association:
Shigeo Iizuka, Akihiro and Kayoko Arimoto, Shichiro Hamamoto, Teruaki Masumoto, Sakie Yokota, Kenichi and Tatsuko Ichikawa, Fumiyo Saito, Takeshi Matumoto, Akio Terakoshi, Mitsuo Uchida, Masaru Honma, Koichiro Iizuka, Fumiko Hirano, Toshiko Masumoto
Rescue Abductees:
Yoichi Shimada, Mr. Yamagishi
COMJAN:
Hiroshi Kawahito
At the Prime Minister’s office, our members met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, together with Mr. Hirofumi Hirano, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Hiroshi Nakai, Minister of State for the Abduction Issue, Mr. Matsuno, Mr. Matsui and Mr. Takino, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries, Mr. Tetsuro Fukuyama, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kouhei Ohtsuka, Senior Vice Minister for Promotion of Local Sovereignty, and Mr. Kenji Tamura, Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office. All of them attended the meeting with the “blue ribbon” pin. Mr. Koriki Jojima, chairman of the Lower House special committee on the abduction issue, and Mr. Yukihisa Fujita, chairman of the Upper House special committee on the abduction issue joined the meeting at the Cabinet Office.
PM Hatoyama meets with Families of Abductees
Posted On at 時刻: 12:12 by RescueAbducteesFamily members of the vicitims kidnapped by North Korea and members from the supporting organizations met with Prime Minister Hatoyama and Minister of State for the Abduction Issue Hiroshi Nakai on Tuesday, September 28th at the Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama vowed Tuesday to make efforts to have Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and and are believed to be still living in the reclusive state returned to Japan, according to relatives of the abduction victims who visited the new Japanese leader at his office. "I am going to tackle this issue in the belief that a new administration will be meaningless if we don't solve this," Hatoyama was quoted by the relatives as telling them in their first meeting since he took office on Sept. 16. "It is not that easy, but in order for a new administration to demonstrate a politics in which each and every life is cherished, progress must be seen in the abduction issue," Hatoyama told reporters in the evening, referring to the basis of his philosophy, "fraternity." "This is the issue we must tackle," he said. The relatives said Hatoyama also notified them that he had sought support on the abduction issue from U.S. President Barack Obama and other foreign leaders when he held bilateral talks with them during his six-day trip to the United States last week. The 62-year-old Hatoyama, who heads the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, also informed the relatives that Obama promised him the United States will do everything it can do to help get the abduction victims back, according to Shigeo Iizuka, the brother of abduction victim Yaeko Taguchi. But the prime minister also underlined the importance of Japan committing itself more strongly on the issue, according to Iizuka. "I told him I'm delighted to feel eagerness" of the new government to address the problem, said Iizuka, who chairs the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. Hatoyama also told Iizuka his administration will work hard in cooperation with the South Korean government to invite to Japan former North Korean agent Kim Hyon Hui, who knew Taguchi as a Japanese- language teacher in North Korea and currently lives in the South. In March, Iizuka and Taguchi's son Koichiro Iizuka met Kim, who was convicted of the 1987 fatal bombing of a South Korean airliner but was freed in 1990 under a presidential pardon, and were able to get a glimpse into how Taguchi spent her life in North Korea. But Sakie Yokota, mother of abduction victim Megumi Yokota, was less sanguine. "I don't remember how many times I have come here (the prime minister's office) and how many times I have begged the prime minister for help," she said. "I have always trusted them (politicians) and expected them to do their best," she said. "I will thank them only when we see actual results." Pyongyang says Megumi died in North Korea, but her family does not accept the claim. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who was also at the meeting, said at a press conference, "The Hatoyama Cabinet will do its utmost to resolve the abduction issue as the responsibility of the state." North Korea promised to set up a panel to reinvestigate the fates of Japanese abductees during bilateral negotiations with Japan in August last year, but no progress has been made on the probe. Japan has said that at least 17 Japanese were abducted to North Korea in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The issue is an emotional one in Japan and has been a major obstacle to the normalization of bilateral ties.
Below is on the reports covering this meeting:
http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=D9B0V79O0&show_article=1
LEAD: Hatoyama vows efforts to get back abduction victims+
