A/S HILL'S MEETING WITH JAPAN PM ADVISOR ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 004656

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV JA KN
SUBJECT: A/S HILL'S MEETING WITH JAPAN PM ADVISOR ON
ABDUCTIONS NAKAYAMA

Classified By: Charge d' Affaires Joseph R. Donovan. Reasons 1.4 (B) (
D)


1. (C) Summary. The DPRK must take concrete steps for the
return of the abductees and provide a credible explanation
for the purported death of each victim in order to
demonstrate progress on the abduction issue, Japan's Special
Advisor on the Abduction Issue Kyoko Nakayama told visiting
EAP A/S Hill on September 26. She urged the United States
not to remove North Korea from the USG,s list of state
sponsors of terrorism absent progress in resolving the
abduction issue. A/S Hill stressed that the United States
attaches great importance to the problem, and that the he
raises abductees at every meeting with the DPRK. He also
said he has told the North Koreans that it is in their
interest to be more responsive on abductions, which would
allow for improved relations with Japan. As the Six-Party
process unfolds, further engagement with the DPRK will in no
way cause the United States to sacrifice its close ties with
Japan, A/S Hill stated. End summary.


2. (C) On September 26, A/S Hill met with Special Advisor to
the Prime Minister for the Abduction Issue Kyoko Nakayama to
discuss the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North
Korea during the 1970-80's. A/S Hill stressed that the
United States attaches great importance to the abduction
issue, and that he raises the matter at every meeting with
the DPRK.

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What is Progress?
--------------


3. (C) Nakayama expressed thanks for U.S. support on the
abduction issue. A/S Hill asked Mrs. Nakayama to define what
Japan would view as progress toward resolving the matter. In
response, Nakayama said that:

-- the DPRK and Japan must agree on concrete steps for the
return of the abductees;

-- progress would be a Japanese judgment, not a DPRK one; and

-- Japan needs specific explanations from the DPRK of the
circumstances of the deaths of abductees it claims are no
longer alive.


4. (C) In response to A/S Hill's question, Nakayama
emphasized that Japan does not find credible the evidence
that the DPRK submitted to support Pyongyang's claim that
eight kidnap victims had died after being transported to
North Korea. As a result, Tokyo does not believe that the
abductees are dead, would find additional explanations and
information about cause of death meaningless. (Note: In
September 2004, a Japanese team sent to investigate the fate
of the eight concluded that some of the death certificates
had been "forged," e.g. the documents had identical numbers.
This conclusion, combined with the subsequent DNA test on the
purported remains of Megumi Yokota (see para 6),form the
basis of Tokyo's assertion that the abductees are alive. End
note.)


5. (C) The "survivors," i.e., the 12 individuals that Tokyo
maintains are still living in the North, would only be
allowed to come to Japan when DPRK leader Kim Jong-il decides
to return them, Nakayama said. The government of Japan hopes
that North Korea will make the decision to send the abductees
back. Nothing less would constitute progress on the
abduction issue, Nakayama maintained, adding that a fuller
role for Japan in the Six-Party process hinges on this
question.

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The Importance of U.S.-Japan Ties
--------------


6. (C) Japan rejects the DPRK's official position that the
abduction issue has already been settled, Nakayama stated.
Nakayama suggested that the DPRK has been using the 2006

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missile and nuclear tests as a pretext to shift discussion
away from the abduction issue. In response, A/S Hill assured
Nakayama that the United States is prepared to work on all
the issues in the context of the Six-Party Talks, noting that
we do not need to choose between &one or the other." He
also stressed the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship,
underlining that as the Six-Party process unfolds, further
engagement with the DPRK will in no way cause the United
States to sacrifice its close ties with Japan. (Note: In
November 2004, North Korea returned what it claimed was the
remains of abductee Megumi Yokota. In December 2004, Japan
conducted DNA testing that it claims showed the remains were
not those of Ms. Yokota. The accuracy of Japan's DNA testing
has since been called into question. End Note.)


7. (C) Nakayama said Japan could not support the United
States removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors
of terrorism absent progress on the abduction issue. She
said that Japan "has strong trust" in the United States, and
that the majority of Japanese people do not want to see the
DPRK taken off of the list until the abduction issue is
resolved. Any offer made by Pyongyang to release the Yodo-go
hijackers, a Red Army Faction which commandeered a
Tokyo-Fukuoka JAL flight in 1970, would not be nearly enough
to alleviate Tokyo,s concerns on the abductions issue,
Nakayama maintained.


8. (C) Ambassador, PolCons Meserve, SA Klein, and embassy
poloffs Jordan and Hansen accompanied A/S Hill. The Japanese
side included four Councilors from the Cabinet Abduction
Office: Takashi Minami, Takashi Kawachi, Naoki Fujii, and
Takashi Okada.


9. (U) A/S Hill has cleared this message.
DONOVAN