DEMARCHE IN SUPPORT OF U.S. PROPOSAL FOR THE ICAO AVSEC

UNCLAS TOKYO 004858 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS IO/T L.TOBEY DEPT PLEASE PASS L/DL S.BENDA MONTREAL PASS TO USICAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC ADPM EAIR AORC ICAO OPDC KTIA CA JP SUBJECT: DEMARCHE IN SUPPORT OF U.S. PROPOSAL FOR THE ICAO AVSEC PANEL IN MONTREAL, SEPT. 11-15 REF: STATE 112194 ¶1. (U) Per reftel, talking points were delivered by ECOUNS to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on August 14, and to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT) on August 18. ¶2. (SBU) MOFA Director of Specialized Agencies Division, Mr. Yoichiro Yamada said that he understands the USG proposal for ICAO Security Manual and agreed to consider supporting the U.S. view at AVSEC. He said that Japan's current view regarding the X-raying of diplomatic pouches differs from the US view. While X-raying of diplomatic pouches is undesirable to the GOJ, it is considered acceptable if the purpose of the X-ray is to find objects that might endanger security and threaten lives of passengers. The GOJ views x-raying of diplomatic pouches as different from "opening" of diplomatic pouches. Therefore, GOJ's approach has been to ensure that the purpose of X-ray searches be strictly to identify the objects that endanger security. The GOJ requires a viable and convincing explanation to search for security purposes ¶3. (SBU) MLIT Director of International Air Transport Division, Mr. Tadashi Shimura said that our taking points will be conveyed to the appropriate person in the section within MLIT where aviation security is handled, who was on leave. While noting he was not the expert, Shimura said that he assumed that a treaty would take precedence over the AVSEC Manuel and that x-raying had been an issue with a neighboring country. DONOVAN