The six-party talks have stalled, and so, too, has the issue dear to Japanese people's hearts: the rescue of our country's abductees in North Korea.
To date, the Japanese government has recognized 17 Japanese nationals as victims of abduction by North Korea from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Among these abductees, five were returned to Japan in 2002 after the summit meeting between then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korea's Chairman Kim Jong Il. Of the remaining 12, however, North Korea claims that eight have died and four have never entered its territory. But the North Korean government has never provided sufficient evidence to back up such claims.
This issue is a serious transgression of our citizens' human rights. The abductees were taken from their homeland by force or deception, and remain deprived of every freedom under the surveillance of North Korean authorities. The international community understands the urgency of resolving this situation. Last December, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution calling for the protection of human rights in North Korea, included a clause calling for the immediate return of abductees. Meanwhile, family members of North Korean abductees and their supporters in Japan, South Korea, the United States, Thailand and Romania have strengthened their solidarity, and launched an international coalition group last December.
Japanese nationals remain very concerned about the abduction issue. According to a recent government public opinion poll 89% of the Japanese public believe the abduction issue is the primary concern governing our country's overall relations with North Korea. Given this, it's clear that the abduction issue is a national challenge -- one that the Japanese government cannot leave unresolved. Last December, our Parliament passed a resolution which asked the U.S. to exercise prudence when considering the removal of North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, with the aim of maintaining the incentive for North Korea to release the abductees.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's government, appointed last September, sincerely wishes to break the impasse over the abduction issue and improve Japan-North Korea relations. Despite the thirst for dialogue, we managed to hold only two bilateral meetings on the abduction issue last year (in March and September) and have failed to produce concrete progress. The Japanese government is hoping in earnest to expand opportunities for direct talks, to deepen mutual trust and understanding, and to make a breakthrough in the current deadlock.
Resolving the abduction issue and other humanitarian concerns appropriately will be a touchstone for North Korea in building normal relations with the international community. At the same time, finding a solution to the abduction issue is an essential step in opening the frozen door between Japan and North Korea and bringing new opportunities and mutual benefits. It is our sincere hope that North Korea shares these views, reopens direct dialogues with Japan, and takes concrete and prompt actions to resolve the abduction issue.
Ms. Nakayama is special advisor to the Japanese prime minister for the abduction issue.
First Steven Spielberg upset China's internet users after resigning as adviser to the Olympics over Darfur. Now Björk is under attack after shouting "Tibet! Tibet!" at the end of her song Declare Independence at a concert in Shanghai.
Her remark was not reported in official media, but led to criticism when it began to circulate on the web. While China's 58-year occupation of Tibet remains controversial abroad, most Chinese see Tibet as a part of their country and regard calls for its independence as intrusive and divisive.
One fan said it was "disrespectful" and "very selfish" to raise the issue while visiting China.
The Icelandic singer first dedicated Declare Independence to Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which still have formal links to Denmark, and the song's video shows her in clothing bearing their flags. She dedicated the song to Kosovo while performing in Japan last month.
Its lyrics include: "Don't let them do that to you. Raise your flag!"
Matt Whitticase, spokesman for the London-based Free Tibet Movement, said it was delighted by her remarks, contrasting them with Gordon Brown and David Miliband's "shameful" decision not to raise the issue publicly on their recent visits to Beijing.
"Speaking out while in China has shown it is perfectly possible to make a high-profile visit and raise the ongoing plight of the Tibetan people," he said.
Björk's representatives could not be contacted for comment last night.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said last month: "Tibet has been an inseparable part of Chinese territories since ancient times, which is universally recognised by the international community."
