[USFK Forums] Japan to create new ambassadorial post on human rights [Kyodo News]

[C. Y. Lee]

[Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Saturday, November 26, 2005] Here is a news report from Japan's Kyodo News as follows:
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Friday November 25, 9:43 PM

Japan to create new ambassadorial post on human rights

(Kyodo) _ The government plans to set up a new ambassadorial post to oversee human rights issues, including North Korea's past abductions of Japanese citizens, Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi said Friday.

The post of an ambassador in charge of human rights is apparently aimed at drumming up international support for resolving the North Korea abduction issue, and follows the appointment by U.S. President George W. Bush in August of Jay Lefkowits as his special envoy on human rights.

"The (North Korea) abduction is against humanity. We must deal with it squarely," Yachi said in a speech in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.

The Foreign Ministry will formalize the new post after working out the details, including the specific role and authority to be given to the ambassador, government officials said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Thursday at the House of Councillors special committee on the North Korean abduction issue that the government will consider creating a new high-ranking official in charge of dealing with human rights in North Korea, and referred to the activity of U.S. special envoy Lefkowits.

The move, however, may trigger protest from North Korea. Yachi said in the speech that it took more than one month for Japan to persuade North Korea to agree to resume bilateral talks with Japan due to a conflict over cremated remains the North handed over to Japan as those of abduction victim Megumi Yokota in November 2004.

Japan has earlier said a DNA analysis of the remains showed they were not Yokota's but of two unknown people, and lodged a strong protest with North Korea.

North Korea had urged Japan to accept the remains as Yokota's but Tokyo rejected the request, resulting in more than one month being needed for North Korea to agree to resume bilateral talks, Yachi said.

The two countries held bilateral talks in Beijing on Nov. 3 and 4 but produced no tangible results in settling the abduction issue.