AMBASSADOR SCHIEFFER MEETS WITH JAPANESE DIET

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003517

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MARR KN KS CH RS JA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR SCHIEFFER MEETS WITH JAPANESE DIET
COMMITTEE ON ABDUCTIONS


Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary. During a June 22 private, no-press meeting
with the Upper House Special Committee on North Korean
Abduction Issues, Ambassador Schieffer:

-- recounted his visit to Niigata and the President's
personal interest in the abductee issue,

--updated the Committee on North Korea's missile launch
preparations,

--cautioned the committee from viewing our actions against
Banco Delta Asia as "sanctions," and

-- recognized the growing level of frustration in Japan on
the abduction issue, but urged the Committee to never give up
hope that justice will be done. End Summary.


2. (C) Ambassador Schieffer met with the Upper House Special
Committee on North Korean Abduction Issues on June 22, 2006.
Committee Chairman Tadashi Hirono began the meeting by
thanking the Ambassador for his efforts on behalf of the
abductees and their families. The Japanese people have great
trust in the Ambassador, Hirono explained, and are very
grateful for his visit to Niigata and for helping facilitate
the meeting between Sakie Yokota, the mother of a Japanese
girl abducted by North Korea, and the President. Hirono also
underscored that the meeting was an informal discussion and
directed the members not to quote the Ambassador to the
press.


3. (C) The Ambassador thanked the Committee and stated that
the abduction issue is "as important an issue as we can face
on human rights." His visit to Niigata helped him realize
the enormity of the problem and the number of lives impacted
by the abductions. The President, too, has taken a deep
personal interest in the issue and has said that his meeting
with Mrs. Yokota was one of his most moving experiences.
Everyone has to band together, not just the United States and
Japan, but all nations that believe in the rule of law, to
rectify the situation. The Foreign Ministry's decision to
raise the issue at the upcoming G8 summit, and its effort to
bring together various embassies in Tokyo to discuss the
issue is very encouraging. The overwhelmingly positive
international response is helping to build momentum and the
Ambassador welcomed ideas on how the United States could help.

Missile Preparation
--------------


4. (C) Hirono opened the meeting to discussion and asked for
an update on North Korea's missile preparations. If North
Korea launches a missile, the Japanese government would take
tough measures, in coordination with the United States, he
noted. The Ambassador stressed that we remain uncertain
about whether the missile is fueled and ready to launch, but
acknowledged the possibility that North Korea will launch an
ICBM. We have made our concerns public in hopes of deterring
North Korea. It would be a provocative act that would
violate many agreements, including Prime Minister Koizumi's
Pyongyang Declaration and the spirit of the Six-Party Talks
(6PT). The United States continues to monitor the situation
and is in close communication with the Japanese government,
the Ambassador assured the Committee. He applauded the
unprecedented level of intelligence cooperation and expressed
hope that a united front could dissuade North Korea.


5. (C) Hisashi Kazama of Komeito warned that the Taepodong
could be targeting the United States, and we should keep a
close eye on Memphis, where the President and Koizumi will
hold their summit. Japan Communist Party member Yasuo Ogata
expressed hope that the Taepodong issue could be resolved
peacefully. If North Korea launches the Taepodong, it will
have no more cards to play, Ogata noted. Regarding economic
sanctions, we need to be careful not to hurt innocent people
and we should build a united front that includes China and
South Korea. Unfortunately, the Ambassador responded, North
Korea has sometimes benefited from bad behavior. The Bush
Administration has made it clear that North Korea should not
get any help if it continues to use threat and coercion.

Carrots and Sticks
--------------


6. (C) Hirono raised Banco Delta Asia (BDA) and commented
that the United States policy toward North Korea appears more
weighted toward pressure than dialogue. The Ambassador

cautioned the Committee from viewing our actions against BDA
as "sanctions" and drew a distinction between rooting out
illegal, criminal activity and sanctions. Any country would
react as we have if its currency were being counterfeited and
drugs being trafficked. BDA is not a political issue; no sum
of counterfeit money or amount of drugs is acceptable.
Kazama expressed skepticism that North Korea will halt
development of its weapons. The Ambassador countered that
North Korea need look no further than Japan to realize that a
nation does not need a nuclear weapon to be prosperous. The
United States has offered a security guarantee. He pointed
to Libya as a perfect example of a country that calculated
that a nuclear weapon ran counter to its interests. Giving
up its nuclear ambition would give North Korea greater trade
opportunities and a chance to reenter the international
community.

Human Rights and Refugees
--------------


7. (C) Japan recently passed a North Korea Human Rights bill
very similar to the U.S. Act, Hirono said. Although the
issue would require international collaboration, he wondered
if the U.S. Act has had any tangible impact on North Korea.
We cannot hope to speak for millions if we lack the authority
to speak for one when a great injustice has been done, the
Ambassador replied. We must continue to fight for redress
together, in the court of public opinion.


8. (C) Despite having the Human Rights Bill and an amendment
to the Foreign Exchange Law that could ban North Korean
vessels from entering Japanese ports, Kazama thought Japan
needed to do more. It has been two years since the United
States enacted its law and Kazama wondered if we could
identify tangible results. The Ambassador urged him to think
in terms of what conditions may be like if the bill had not
passed. We need to establish international standards. If a
country adheres to the standards, it benefits, if not, it
will be penalized. Sanctions are not the first tool we turn
to, but we have to contemplate it as an option.

Role of South Korea and China
--------------


9. (C) Suematsu asked for the Ambassador's views on probable
Russian, Chinese and South Korean reactions to a missile
launch. The Ambassador expressed hope that South Korea would
join the international community in condemning a missile
launch, but said we have to respect everyone's
decision-making process. Russia, China and South Korea do
not want North Korea to have nuclear weapons, but how they
convey their feelings to the North is up to them. At the end
of the day, North Korea will decide for itself whether or not
to launch the missile; credit or fault will lie only with
North Korea. All we can do is lay out clearly the
consequences of bad actions. If it launches the missile, we
will have to take action.

More Communication with North Korean People Needed
-------------- --------------


10. (C) Asao asked about ways to increase information flow
between the North Korean public and the outside world.
Yamane added that information exchange and radio broadcasts
between South and North Korea were recently suspended and he
encouraged us to find ways to revive the communication. The
regime's attempts to censor outside information underscore
the importance of information flow to North Korean people,
the Ambassador replied. We should make efforts to improve
communication with the North Korean people. It gives those
in pursuit of freedom hope and support.


11. (U) Participants:

Ambassador Schieffer,
Michael Meserve, Political Minister-Counselor
Tandy Matsuda, Political Officer (notetaker)
Shinobu Kikuchi, Political Assistant (notetaker)

Tadashi Hirono, DPJ, Committee Chairman
Shuntaro Kageyama, LDP, Committee Director
Shinsuke Suematsu, LDP, Committee Director
Toshio Ogawa, DPJ, Committee Director
Ryuji Yamane, DPJ, Committee Director
Naoki Okada, LDP
Koichi Kishi, LDP
Keiichiro Asao, DPJ
Yuko Mori, DPJ

Mitsuyoshi Yanagisawa, DPJ
Hisasahi Kazama, Komeito
Yasuo Ogata, JCP
SCHIEFFER