Abductees' kin rap gov't over plan to lift N Korea sanctions

Tuesday 08th July, 04:24 AM JST

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3 Comments

smithinjapan at 09:10 AM JST - 8th July

"...adopted a resolution urging the government not to lift any sanctions until North Korea returns ‘‘all victims’’ of abduction by its agents."

Oh, here we go again! So, they should return ALL the people on the abductee list, eh? Lest we forget, there are sometimes people who 'magically' appear in Japan and who have been in hiding or simply wanted to disappear (from family, job, etc.), and were never kidnapped at all. That's the big problem; distraught relatives of someone missing just want it fit into a neat little picture called 'abduction', because then they have something concrete to blame.

As for those who were ACTUALLY abducted, NK promising to look into it is as good as it's going to get, for the moment, and demanding that sanctions NOT be lifted will only serve to NKorea's upper hand on the matter; they'll simply say the issue is resolved, and the relatives can then do nothing further, can they? NK has proven time and time again that they are not going to be 'bullied' into resolving the issue any further, and while I wish they didn't need to be placated with aid, etc., I'm afraid that's the only way this issue is going to inch forward.

Finally, while I have no doubt NK fudged the records and gave back false ashes, I also don't doubt very much that many of the kin that people here are looking for (who were actually kidnapped) are in fact dead. Without a shred of proof that they are living, I find it odd that one can demand they be returned alive. Demanding better proof they are dead? Okay, I can see that.

I genuinely feel sorry for those people that have had their loved ones abducted, but they have to realize that, as cruel and wrong as it is, they need to play into NK's hands for a while while being stern, but not idiotic.
Hughgarse at 12:37 PM JST - 8th July

until North Korea returns ‘‘all victims’’ of abduction by its agents.

I do feel for these people, as can only imagine what they have been through, but they are living in a dreamland, as I bet NK most likely don`t even know where half these people are now.
usaletterhead at 06:33 AM JST - 9th July

A nation is willing to put another nation under sanctions for a few people? I understand that it must be painful to loose relatives to the North Koreans across the Sea of Japan, but to instill political and economic sanctions upon a nation for such a small incident is ludicrous.