JAPAN NEW ABDUCTEE NGO CHAIRMAN HOPES FOR SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000098 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV JA KN SUBJECT: JAPAN NEW ABDUCTEE NGO CHAIRMAN HOPES FOR SUPPORT FROM NEW ROK PRESIDENT Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i. Joseph R. Donovan. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. The newly-appointed chair of Japan's leading abduction NGO expressed appreciation for the letter sent by President Bush to DPRK leader Kim Jong-il in December, which NGO members believe would "raise the hurdle for the DPRK on the nuclear and abduction issues." He expressed hope that the selection of a new ROK president would lead to a United States-Japan-ROK "cooperation framework" to make abductions a national issue in South Korea and lead to closer cooperation with Japan. NGO leaders remain skeptical about a new LDP sub-committee on North Korea headed by senior LDP faction leader Taku Yamasaki, which "hinders" abduction efforts and does not communicate with the three major abduction NGO's. The chairman characterized as "weak" PM Fukuda's resolve in addressing the abduction issue, noting that Japanese officials have so far taken few concrete measures. End Summary. -------------- Appreciation -------------- ¶2. (C) Shigeo Iizuka, newly-appointed chairman of Japan's leading NGO on abduction issues, the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFKVN), discussed the abduction issue with Embassy political officer on January 9. Iizuka expressed appreciation for the letter sent by President Bush to DPRK leader Kim Jong-il in December, which the AFKVN head believed would "raise the hurdle for the DPRK on the nuclear and abduction issues." AFVKN members assess that the Ambassador's support on the abduction issue, combined with the close cooperation between U.S. and Japanese parliamentarians demonstrated by an abduction-related Diet delegation's visit to Washington in November, led to President Bush's decision to correspond with the DPRK leader. Iizuka promised that the abductee families "will never forget that President Bush expressed the view that the abduction issue is a terrible thing." -------------- ROK Administration -------------- ¶3. (C) Noting that the ROK will have a new party in power for the first time in ten years, Iizuka expressed hope that the United States, Japan, and South Korea would resume the "cooperation framework" dialogue that ended several years ago. He opined that trilateral cooperation might motivate 
Seoul, whose own citizens were also abducted by Pyongyang, to make abduction a national issue, and lead to closer cooperation with Japan. Iizuka guessed that Seoul authorities have concrete information on Japanese abductees who, according to AFVKN, are still being held captive in North Korea. ¶4. (C) AFKVN maintains contact with ROK NGO's dealing with the issue, Iizuka noted. He asserted, however, the Roh Administration's lack of support for resolving the issue has meant that such groups receive little support from the pubic. -------------- Fukuda -------------- ¶5. (C) Iizuka characterized as "weak" PM Fukuda's resolve in addressing the abduction issue, noting that Japanese officials have so far taken few concrete measures. Tokyo officials, according to Iizuka, should offer Pyongyang the promise of economic assistance or the possibility of normalization in order to entice the DPRK. Additional sanctions would also be an option. -------------- LDP Committee -------------- TOKYO 00000098 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Iizuka expressed skepticism and suspicion about a new LDP sub-committee on North Korea headed by senior LDP Diet member Taku Yamasaki. Although sub-committee members claim they want to resolve the abduction issue, Iizuka said, AFKVN's views on how to address the problem differ from those of Yamasaki. AFKVN demands that the DPRK unconditionally return all abductees, Iizuka said, while the LDP committee members would settle for the return of some victims and accept Pyongyang's word that no further abductees remained. According to Iizuka, Yamasaki's group "hinders" AFVKN's efforts and does not communicate with the three major abduction NGO's. AFKVN members likewise avoid talking to the sub-committee fearing that Yamasaki would misuse their remarks. -------------- 2008 Activities -------------- ¶7. (C) AFVKN established what Iizuka described as an "international coalition" with NGO's in other countries whose citizens have been abducted. Coalition partners include ROK abductee family groups, professors, and NGO's. Iizuka said he planned to hold an "international rally" is South Korea in March 2008. AFVKN will call on the Japanese government to push Seoul to support the rally. -------------- Congressional Visit -------------- ¶8. (C) Iizuka reviewed the November 2007 visit to Washington of an abduction supporters' delegation composed of NGO's and the Diet Parliamentary League on Abductions. He observed that the delegation was the first Diet group to directly talk with Congress on abductions. According to Iizuka, "increasing numbers of members of both houses of the United States Congress" oppose taking a "soft" approach to North Korea. AFVKN members believe the trip allowed Japanese parliamentarians to show Congress the importance the Diet places on the abduction issue. -------------- Sgt. Jenkins -------------- ¶9. (C) As the lunch broke up, Iizuka said that convicted United States Army deserter Sgt. Charles Jenkins and his wife, returned abductee Hitomi Soga, are living on Sado Island, where Jenkins works as a clerk selling souvenirs and local products. Jenkins, presence draws a number of tourists who ask to have their pictures taken with the former GI. Jenkins, two daughters, whom Iizuka estimated as being in their early-to-middle 20's, are university students who live apart from their parents in Niigata. DONOVAN