Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07STOCKHOLM1008
2007-08-21 14:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Stockholm
Cable title:
THE CASE OF RELIGIOUS PRISONER SON JONG-NAM:
how-toVZCZCXYZ0010 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHSM #1008 2331402 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211402Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2547 INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0435 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0697 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0471 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 0957 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0742 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0730 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 2374 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0131
C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 001008
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL/AWH JULIE TURNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KN KS EXIM PGOV SW
SUBJECT: THE CASE OF RELIGIOUS PRISONER SON JONG-NAM:
SWEDES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
REF: A. STATE 11838
B. CHRISTENSEN/TURNER EMAIL AUG 21
Classified By: Polcouns Casey Christensen, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 001008
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL/AWH JULIE TURNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KN KS EXIM PGOV SW
SUBJECT: THE CASE OF RELIGIOUS PRISONER SON JONG-NAM:
SWEDES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
REF: A. STATE 11838
B. CHRISTENSEN/TURNER EMAIL AUG 21
Classified By: Polcouns Casey Christensen, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (c) Polcouns met August 15 with MFA Special Adviser for
the Korean Peninsula Ambassador Paul Beijer regarding Son
Jong-Nam. Beijer said that Sweden was aware of the case and
had, more than a year ago, intervened bilaterally and through
the EU on behalf of Son Jong-Nam. Sweden and various other
EU countries (including Austria, Italy, Brussels, Germany,
and the UK) had been approached in April/May 2006 by NGOs,
one of which was Christian Solidarity, seeking bilateral and
EU interventions on behalf Mr. Son. Sweden had reviewed the
information provided, and although it found some
discrepancies (chronology and events that did not tally with
Sweden's experience of North Korea, including accounts that
Mr. Son had worked in a rocket facility in Chong Jin after
being released from prison, and that he and his family could
travel readily and rapidly to the area near the Chinese
border, where a sister based in Pyongyang was able to use a
Chinese cell phone to contact a brother in China) in the
information provided, had proceeded to demarche the DPRK on
his behalf. In Sweden's first intervention, in May 2006, the
Swedish MFA had called in the DPRK Ambassador in Stockholm,
and other EU capitals with DPRK embassies had done the same
with resident ambassadors. This produced no response. In
June 2006, Beijer said, the EU had jointly demarched the DPRK
in Pyongyang. The EU received an official response that Mr.
Son Jong-Nam does not exist.
2. (c) After reviewing the information provided reftel,
Beijer told us it appears to be a reiteration of the
information provided the Swedes and others in 2006. Beijer
said that Sweden would review this and other information
available regarding Son and see if there was something else
to do. We have forwarded to DRL/AWH and EUR/NB via unclass
email additional information regarding the case provided by
Beijer. Action request: please provide any additional
information that would assist the Swedes to contradict DPRK
assertion of Son's non-existence.
WOOD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL/AWH JULIE TURNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KN KS EXIM PGOV SW
SUBJECT: THE CASE OF RELIGIOUS PRISONER SON JONG-NAM:
SWEDES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
REF: A. STATE 11838
B. CHRISTENSEN/TURNER EMAIL AUG 21
Classified By: Polcouns Casey Christensen, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (c) Polcouns met August 15 with MFA Special Adviser for
the Korean Peninsula Ambassador Paul Beijer regarding Son
Jong-Nam. Beijer said that Sweden was aware of the case and
had, more than a year ago, intervened bilaterally and through
the EU on behalf of Son Jong-Nam. Sweden and various other
EU countries (including Austria, Italy, Brussels, Germany,
and the UK) had been approached in April/May 2006 by NGOs,
one of which was Christian Solidarity, seeking bilateral and
EU interventions on behalf Mr. Son. Sweden had reviewed the
information provided, and although it found some
discrepancies (chronology and events that did not tally with
Sweden's experience of North Korea, including accounts that
Mr. Son had worked in a rocket facility in Chong Jin after
being released from prison, and that he and his family could
travel readily and rapidly to the area near the Chinese
border, where a sister based in Pyongyang was able to use a
Chinese cell phone to contact a brother in China) in the
information provided, had proceeded to demarche the DPRK on
his behalf. In Sweden's first intervention, in May 2006, the
Swedish MFA had called in the DPRK Ambassador in Stockholm,
and other EU capitals with DPRK embassies had done the same
with resident ambassadors. This produced no response. In
June 2006, Beijer said, the EU had jointly demarched the DPRK
in Pyongyang. The EU received an official response that Mr.
Son Jong-Nam does not exist.
2. (c) After reviewing the information provided reftel,
Beijer told us it appears to be a reiteration of the
information provided the Swedes and others in 2006. Beijer
said that Sweden would review this and other information
available regarding Son and see if there was something else
to do. We have forwarded to DRL/AWH and EUR/NB via unclass
email additional information regarding the case provided by
Beijer. Action request: please provide any additional
information that would assist the Swedes to contradict DPRK
assertion of Son's non-existence.
WOOD