PM, Yokota's mom encouraged by Bush remarks on abduction issue

Friday 04th July, 07:23 AM JST

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8 Comments

Wottock_Hunt at 10:09 AM JST - 4th July

Sure she 's encouraged...if you can"t trust the President of the US to speak sincerely, what's the world coming to?
oneearth at 10:22 AM JST - 4th July

y Bush helping i think he neeed sleep or go to help china free china
RMGTTF at 10:49 AM JST - 4th July

Poor woman I feel empathy for her. Must be really struggling for hope to even trust Bush.
asdfghjkl at 11:17 AM JST - 4th July

Bush......no comment.
wilbur at 11:48 AM JST - 4th July

even if he could help, which he can't, he's still out of office in 4 months...wonder if she knows that
smithinjapan at 12:50 PM JST - 4th July

‘‘We feel very encouraged. This is an issue that should be resolved between Japan and North Korea, but international opinion is also very important,’

International opinion is INDEED important, especially to the Japanese, and ONLY when it's positive and in their favour. International PRESSURE, however, is not the same thing as opinion, and the Japanese are going to have to learn the difference. Bush saying he's against the NKorean side on the abduction issue, and stating that he's merely going to mention it, does not in any way mean they're going to put any REAL pressure on NK (ie. try to do anything about it).

It's a bi-lateral issue... deal with it, Japan.
pointofview at 01:45 PM JST - 4th July

Okay so 1 times 1 is 1 and 2 times 2 is 4 blah blah blah... Do you think Bush would actually say something very negative about this touchy issue? Of course hell say they feel encouraged but why does it take soooo long to resolve this issue then. The fact that this issue hasnt been resolved in countless years is the perfect example of nonsense politics. Give me a break. Japan, suck it up, get tough or own up to your end of the bargain. The rest of the world is in a complete mess and the unfortunate N. Korean abduction issue is old news and doesn`t seem to be on anyones "TO DO LIST." Yokota san is a very patient woman.
DOJTomokoKita at 03:08 PM JST - 4th July

When Fukuoda said "...there is a need to create an environment that would ‘make resolution of the abduction issue easier’ and that he would like to cooperate with the G-8 leaders and gain understanding from them over the issue," he was referring to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of Child Abduction that Japan has not signed and continues to disregard as it provides safe harbor to its own citizens who abduct their children from failed marriages in other countries.

The West will not cooperate with Japan on North Korea until Japan faces up to its own abduction problem. I think Fukuoda-san understands this because the Japanese Government has finally began drafting legislation that should enable compliance with international human rights laws. The Japanese are very slow, but better late than never.