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Tuesday October 31, 8:12 AM3RD LD: Japan urges N. Korea to return abductees immediately at U.N.(Kyodo) _ (EDS: RECASTING THROUGHOUT, ADDING COMMENTS)Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Kenzo Oshima urged North Korea on Monday to return Japanese and other citizens abducted by North Korea immediately to their homelands. The North Korean authorities, "while admitting the fact that they abducted Japanese citizens in the past, have failed to provide satisfactory information about the 11 such abductees much to the grief of the affected families," Oshima told the U.N. General Assembly's Third Committee that deals with human rights issues. Family members of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea sat in on a committee meeting in the morning. The group, led by Shigeo Iizuka, 68, whose younger sister Yaeko Taguchi was abducted to North Korea in 1978 when she was 22, is visiting New York to seek cooperation from the United Nations on the rescue of abduction victims. It is the first time the members of the group have listened to such a deliberation. Oshima, who gave a speech at the committee, emphasized the importance of the abduction issue, saying, "the protection and promotion of all human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community as a whole." "I would like to mention that today, in this conference room, some family members of the abductees and their supporters are observing the committee deliberations," he said. Japan calls on North Korea to "seriously address the issue of their human rights violations, including returning the abductees immediately to their homelands," Oshima said. In a similar effort to seek international cooperation, Sakie Yokota, 70, mother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted to North Korea at age 13 in 1977, met U.S. President George W. Bush in April at the White House. Iizuka's group on Sunday released an emergency appeal saying that the number of nationalities affected by North Korea's abduction totals 12, including South Korea, China, Lebanon, Thailand, Romania, France, Italy and the Netherlands. After Monday's deliberation, Iizuka told reporters he wants the abduction issue resolved "as soon as possible." "(My sister's) return has yet to be realized for as long as about 28 years. I hope every one is aware that we're still waiting for her return," he said. Teruaki Masumoto, 51, chief secretariat of the family group, says abduction is a universal problem. He plans to contact U.N. missions of the related countries from Monday afternoon to seek help. Masumoto's sister, Rumiko, was abducted by North Korea in 1978. Masumoto observed the committee deliberation with his sister's picture in his hands. He told reporters later, "I wanted to show the picture to a North Korean diplomat so that the diplomat will restore best minds and humanity." In his speech, North Korean deputy ambassador, Kim Chang Guk, claimed that the abduction issue has been resolved and that the European Union should recognize Japan's past involvement in violations committed particularly during World War II. Japanese deputy ambassador, Takahiro Shinyo, however, countered the argument, saying the abduction issue remains unresolved. "No satisfactory explanation has been provided by the DPRK authorities and Japan, therefore, cannot accept the claim that this issue has been resolved," he said. The DPRK is the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The European Union, Japan and others will submit a draft resolution condemning the abduction of foreigners to the Third Committee later this week, as they did last year. The U.N. Security Council adopted Oct. 14 a resolution on economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea in response to its Oct. 9 nuclear test. North Korea has admitted its agents abducted or lured 13 Japanese citizens to that country in the late 1970s and early 1980s. North Korea returned five of the 13 in 2002 but claimed that the other eight, including the sisters of Iizuka and Masumoto, had died -- a claim disputed by the Japanese government and their relatives. |
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