 Shii answers reporters' questions on abduction issue The following are remarks Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo made at a news conference on December 15 in answer to reporters' questions concerning the Japan-North Korea talks on the abduction issue: JCP supported Upper House resolution because it specifically called for 'negotiated resolution' Question: The JCP voted in favor of the resolution yesterday (December 14) because it contained a phrase "negotiations". Could you explain the vote again? Shii Kazuo: When the resolution was proposed at the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Abduction Issue, the draft did not include the essential call for talks to be continued to resolve the issue, and the JCP abstained from voting because of this. In the House of Councilors Ad-hoc Committee, the JCP representative raised this point, and the resolution eventually included the phrase calling for "persevering with talks aimed at the resolution of the issue." This is how we came to vote in favor of the resolution. Abduction issue has entered a new serious phase in which economic sanctions may be necessary to promote negotiated resolution Q: Do you mean that you accept economic sanctions as an option? Shii: We recognize that the issue is in a new critical phase. On December 8, the "ashes" of Yokota Megumi turned out to be fake. On the following day, the "ashes" of Matsumoto Kaoru was also found to be someone else's, thus infuriating the public. At the Japan-North Korea summit meeting in May, Kim Jong Il, chairman of National Defense Commission of North Korea, promised to carry out investigations from scratch. Later, they came up with new "materials" that they said were found as a result of their investigation, but the "ashes" which were the key material, turned out to be false. This has made the matter worse. It was also revealed that North Korea's "special agency" which was involved in the abductions had a role in providing such false "materials". Taking into account the new situation, we proposed at the December 9 meeting with the prime minister that the government urge North Korea to appoint new negotiators with full powers and responsibility for dealing with the abduction issue. We also called on the government to qualitatively improve negotiations to make progress on this issue. We also recognize that imposing economic sanctions against North Korea in order to achieve a negotiated resolution would be an option depending on the outcome of forthcoming negotiations and North Korea's reactions. It is not reasonable to call for immediate economic sanctions Q: Do you think it is too early to impose economic sanctions? Shii: Our option is not one of calling for economic sanctions to be imposed now against North Korea. The task now is for Japan to urge North Korea to replace the present negotiator with officials who are responsive to the resolution of the abduction issue and have powers to represent North Korea so that abduction talks can be qualitatively improved. If the other side continues to stonewall despite Japan's reasonable efforts in the negotiations, economic sanctions will then be an option for Japan to apply in order to achieve a negotiated resolution. The government has not scrutinized all documents presented by North Korea. It has not officially reported the results of the investigation to North Korea or received an official response to it from North Korea. We do not believe it is rational for Japan to impose economic sanctions at this time. (end) |