JCP Shii: Japan should not obstruct U.S. removal of N. Korea from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism

   The House of Representatives special committee on North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals on December 5 adopted a resolution submitted by the Liberal Democratic, Democratic, and Komei parties to express opposition to the removal by the United States of North Korea from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

   The Japanese Communist Party voted against the resolution.

   Considering that the U.S. designation of North Korea as a terrorist-sponsoring country “exerts great pressure on North Korea to resolve the abduction issue,” the resolution expressed concern, stating that the removal of the country from the list would disappoint many Japanese people, and thus be “seriously detrimental to the Japan-U.S. alliance.”

   The resolution calls on the Japanese government to make the greatest possible diplomatic effort to prevent the U.S. from removing North Korea from the list and to request the U.S. government to not remove it.

   Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on the same day issued the following statement on the JCP’s basic stance towards this issue:

   The U.S. is considering removing North Korea from its terrorist-sponsoring countries list as a measure in response to a series of actions that North Korea has been taking to denuclearize itself based on the agreements of the Six-Party Talks. Therefore, it is inappropriate for the Japanese Diet to obstruct it.

   A solution to the North Korean nuclear issue will open the way for progress towards the solution of the abduction issue. In order also to resolve the abduction issue, Japan must refrain from hindering other countries from conducting negotiations to solve the nuclear issue.

   The Japanese government is strongly called on to formulate a responsible diplomatic strategy to comprehensively resolve issues including nuclear arms, abductions, and the settlement of historical issues based on the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration as well as the agreements of the Six-Party Talks. I must stress that it is necessary for the Japanese government to design a responsible strategy to resolve the abduction issue, not depending on other nations.
- Akahata, December 6, 2007