JAPANESE NGO'S AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HOST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 007059 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL JA KN SUBJECT: JAPANESE NGO'S AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HOST ABDUCTION-RELATED ACTIVITIES Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Japan's first legislatively mandated "DPRK Human Rights Week" highlighted the plight of DPRK refugees and of those abducted by North Korea. The series of events, which garnered modest media attention, featured NGO-sponsored conferences and symposia, along with government-hosted receptions. The week's events kept the abduction issue, with which PM Abe has long been associated, in the spotlight in the days before resumption of the Six-Party Talks. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Japanese and international NGO's and Japanese government officials hosted a series of events during the week of December 10 focused on DPRK refugees and on Japanese citizens who have been abducted by North Korea. The events were part of "North Korean Human Rights Week," which was mandated by Japan's "North Korean Human Rights Law" of 2006. On December 12, U.S. NGO "Freedom House," joined by other NGOs, sponsored a day-long conference on the plight of North Korean refugees. Discussion centered on how international organizations should deal with the problems of forced repatriation and human trafficking, noting that the collapse of the DPRK regime would greatly increase refugee flows out of the DPRK. ¶3. (SBU) Japanese abductees were the focus of the second day's symposium ("The Reality of International Abduction Committed by North Korea and the Solution"),sponsored by The National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN),The Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN),The Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Related to North Korea (COMJAN),and Japan Lawyers Association for Human Rights Protection in North Korea. Panelists included UN Special Rapporteur for DPRK Human Rights Issues Vitit Muntarbhorn, Japan's Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights Tomiko Saiga and the Prime Minister's Special Advisor on Abductions Kyoko Nakayama. Speakers highlighted the Abe administration's efforts to resolve outstanding cases of missing persons, as well as the government's attempt to draw international attention to the abduction issue. A Cabinet official later told embassy political officer that the afternoon session degenerated into calls for the overthrow of Kim Jong Il. ¶4. (SBU) While Japanese official representation at the NGO events was relatively low-key, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki hosted the major evening reception on December 13, which the Ambassador attended. Shiozaki asked the Ambassador to make impromptu remarks. The Ambassador reiterated the U.S. Government's commitment to working with Japan to resolve the abduction issue, noting that the President remains personally interested in the abduction issue, as reflected by his meeting with the parents of abductee Megumi Yokota. Shiozaki personally called the Ambassador the following day to thank him for his attendance and comments. Separately, Japan's Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights Tomiko Saiga hosted a reception on December 12. ¶5. (U) While in Tokyo, UN Rapporteur for DPRK Human Rights Issues Muntarbhorn met with a number of Japanese and foreign officials, including Embassy Tokyo Political Minister Counselor on December 12, to discuss the abduction issue. Muntarbhorn gave a brief overview of his mandate and described his efforts to increase the level of protection afforded to North Korean refugees by the Chinese and other governments. ¶6. (C) Comment: Prime Minister Abe has cultivated a reputation as tough on the DPRK in general and on the abduction issue in particular. He has often demonstrated considerable personal sympathy for the abduction victims' families and commitment to resolving the abduction issue. By hosting social events in support of DPRK human rights, yet TOKYO 00007059 002 OF 002 distinct from the NGO seminars, the Abe administration was able to capitalize on the public attention created by DPRK human rights week while avoiding direct association with the more fringe or extreme elements of the abduction movement. SCHIEFFER