DPRK ATTEMPTS TO INSCRIBE AN ANTI-JAPAN ITEM ON

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000605 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KN JA SUBJECT: DPRK ATTEMPTS TO INSCRIBE AN ANTI-JAPAN ITEM ON THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA REF: A. TOKYO 3126 ¶B. STATE 100707 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA) DECIDED, ON JULY 24, NOT TO INSCRIBE A NEW ITEM ENTITLED, "CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF XENOPHOBIA" ON ITS CURRENT AGENDA. ADDITION OF THE ITEM HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK) WHICH SUBMITTED A MEMO CLAIMING THAT A NEW ITEM WAS NEEDED BECAUSE OF "INTOLERABLE MOVES OF JAPANESE AUTHORITIES ---ABUSING THE NATIONAL SOVEREIGN RIGHTS OF KOREANS IN JAPAN, IN WANTON VIOLATION OF THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NORMS AND REGULATIONS." THE GENERAL COMMITTEE CONSIDERED THE DPRK REQUEST ON JULY 20 AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE ITEM NOT BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA, AFTER DISCUSSION AMONG COMMITTEE MEMBERS DEMONSTRATED THAT IT HAD NO SUPPORT. THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT WAS THEN FORWARDED TO THE PLENARY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WHERE IT WAS ADOPTED WITHOUT A VOTE. END SUMMARY 2.(U) IN A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DATED JULY 10, THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DPRK REQUESTED THAT A NEW ITEM BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA OF THE CURRENT GA, WHICH CONCLUDES ITS WORK IN SEPTEMBER. HE SPECIFIED THAT THIS ADDITIONAL ITEM ,"CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF XENOPHOBIA SHOULD BE PLACED UNDER THE HEADING MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY AND, CONSISTENT WITH THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, ATTACHED A MEMO EXPLAINING THE REQUEST (A/61/236). THE MEMO, A RECITATION OF WRONGS ALLEGEDLY PERPETRATED BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AGAINST KOREANS LIVING IN JAPAN, CHARACTERIZED THESE ACTS AS "AN EXTREME EXPRESSION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND HUGE THREATS TO PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE NORTHEAST ASIA REGION, AND FURTHER, TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY." ¶3. (U) NEITHER THE DPRK NOR JAPAN ARE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THE GA PRESIDENT, THE 21 VICE-PRESIDENTS AND SIX COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN. EACH SPOKE AT THE MEETING, HOWEVER, AND JAPAN ALSO CIRCULATED A LETTER REBUTTING THE NORTH KOREAN ALLEGATIONS (A/61/1005). MOST OTHER SPEAKERS FOCUSED ON THE TECHNICAL MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE WHICH IS TO INSCRIBE ITEMS AND ALLOCATE THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE BODY RATHER THAN CONSIDER THE SUBSTANCE. MANY SPEAKERS (NETHERLANDS, FRANCE, U.K. COSTA RICA, CHILE, ESTONIA, COLOMBIA, LIECHTENSTEIN) NOTED THAT THE RULES FOR THE ADDITION OF ITEMS SPECIFY THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE OF AN "URGENT AND IMPORTANT" CHARACTER AND THAT THIS ISSUE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED UNDER AN EXISTING HUMAN RIGHTS ITEM IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE, DID NOT MEET THOSE CRITERIA. A FEW SPEAKERS (CHINA, INDONESIA, CAMEROON) ALSO URGED THE PARTIES TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES BILATERALLY. THE GA PRESIDENT, WHO PRESIDED, ASKED WHETHER, IN LIGHT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, SHE COULD CONCLUDE THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD DECIDE NOT TO RECOMMEND INSCRIPTION OF THE ITEM ? THERE WAS NO CHALLENGE AND THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS SENT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR CONSIDERATION. COMMENT.THE U.S.COORDINATED CLOSELY WITH THE JAPANESE DELEGATION AND ASSURED THEM OF OUR SUPPORT AND READINESS TO SPEAK IF NECESSARY (IT WASN'T). END COMMENT. ¶4. (U) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONSIDERED THE REPORT OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON JULY 24. THE DPRK RESTATED ITS COMPLAINTS AGAINST JAPAN. THE JAPANESE RESPONDED BY NOTING THE UNANIMOUS DECISION OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE TO REJECT THE NORTH KOREAN REQUEST AND EXPLAINING THAT THE COLLAPSE OF A DPRK CREDIT UNION IN JAPAN HAD RESULTED IN THE ACTION ABOUT WHICH THE DPRK WAS COMPLAINING RATHER THAN DISCRIMINATION. THE JAPANESE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT AT THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED SIX PARTY TALKS THERE HAD BEEN A DECISION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS IMPROVEMENT IN DPRK - JAPAN RELATIONS AND THE JAPANESE ARE READY TO MAKE SINCERE EFFORTS THERE TO THAT END. THE DPRK RESPONDED THAT NO MATTER HOW NICELY THE JAPANESE TRY TO PAINT THE SUPPRESSION OF KOREANS AS A BUSINESS MATTER, THEY CANNOT DENY THAT THIS TERRORIST CAMPAIGN OF REPRESSION IS A PLOT AGAINST KOREANS IN JAPAN. THE JAPANESE REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NO DISCRIMINATION AND THAT SIMILAR ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN DURING THE SAME PERIOD WHEN A JAPANESE BANK HAD FAILED. THIS, THEY SAID, IS THE NON-DISCRIMINATORY NATURE OF FINANCIAL MATTERS IN JAPAN. THEY REJECTED THE USE OF THE TERM "TERRORISM" AS INAPPROPRIATE AND INTOLERABLE. THAT EXCHANGE CONCLUDED THE DISCUSSION AND THE DPRK ATTEMPT TO INSCRIBE THE ITEM. KHALILZAD