- Japan-North Korea talks aimed at normalizing ties will open a new round on
Tuesday, 29 October 2002, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rengo recognises that it
is necessary to normalize diplomatic ties between the two countries with a view
to the peace in Northeast Asia and the world. Japan must seek to get its neighbour
to come back to the international community and take all responsibilities as a
member of the community. However, there are long-pending questions between the
two countries, namely Japanese abductees and nuclear weapons. The Government should
enter negotiations with a resolute attitude on the assumption that an early solution
would be reached.
- The abduction of Japanese citizens, part of which has been recently made public,
is a serious violation of human rights. Any reason cannot justify the violation
and Rengo will not forgive it. In a Leaders’ meeting on 17 September, Kim
Jong Il admitted and apologised for the abduction. However, actions that have
been taken by Pyongyang has revealed that there are many problems to be solved,
including the return of abductees to original conditions, families of abductees
left in North Korean, the investigation into eight abductees who have been reported
to die, the investigation of criminals, etc. The Government of Japan must, as
a matter of course, use execute its sovereignty and ask Pyongyang for complete
solution of the abduction.
- The US Department of State announced on 16 October that Pyongyang confessed
that North Korea had secretly developed nuclear weapons during a the United States-North
Korea high-level consultation starting on 3 October. This is the violation of
both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1992 Joint North-South Declaration
on the Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. It further ignores the 1994 U.S.-North
Korean Agreed Framework with which North Korea pledged the freeze in its nuclear
weapons programme. This is a serious menace to the peace of the world, particularly
of Northeast Asian. Rengo makes a strong protest about the development of nuclear
weapons and demands for immediate suspension of the development, the implementation
of an international team’s inspection and the complete renounce of nuclear.
Furthermore, other remaining problems, such as missile developments and spy ships,
should be solved as important security issues.
- Normalisation talks will discuss the compensation for Japan's wartime aggression.
Even though the responsibility lies with Japan’s militarism, it is still
true that Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula for 36 years from 1910 and inflicted
pain on Korean people. Japan must respond to this fact sincerely with repentance.
- Upon starting normalisation talks, the Government of Japan must strengthen
cooperation with Korea and the United States, as well as China and Russia, with
a view to secure the peace in Northeast Asia.
|
