Japan Press Weekly

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2009 April 1 - 7 [NORTH KOREA]

Diet resolutions urge North Korea not to launch rocket

Both chambers of the Diet on March 31 adopted unanimous resolutions urging North Korea to restrain itself from launching a rocket.

The resolutions drafted by the Liberal Democratic Party initially included criticism of the rocket launch as "a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions" and expressed “firm protest” against it.

At the March 30 meeting of Diet policy commission chairs’ of opposition parties, Japanese Communist Party representative Kokuta Keiji called for those two parts in the draft to be removed, claiming that there is no proof the planned rocket launch is ballistic missile test.

After negotiations between the ruling and opposition party representatives, the phrase "a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions" was dropped.

The JCP did not become a joint sponsor of the resolution since the expression “firm protest” was not deleted.

Concerning the issue of North Korea’s rocket launch, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo stated on March 26, “What is important now is to avoid any actions that could increase the tension in Northeast Asia and to make every diplomatic effort to urge North Korea to restrain itself from launching a rocket.”