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Ex-abductee's brother blasts Japan's stance toward N Korea

20 Comments
By Taro Fujimoto

Toru Hasuike, a former vice representative of the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, on Saturday criticized the Japanese government's policy toward North Korea over the abduction issue as well as media coverage of it.

“September 17, 2002, was a day of conspiracy. Japan and North Korea tried to sweep the slate clean,” Hasuike told the Asia Press Club, referring to the top-level meeting between former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

At that meeting, North Korea admitted abducting Japanese citizens in a state-sponsored program and agreed to return five to Japan. “The two sides signed the so-called Pyongyang Declaration which concluded five abductees were still alive and eight had died. That was a show by Japan and North Korea to normalize the bilateral relationship.”

Hasuike's brother, Kaoru, was kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1978, and returned to Japan together with his Japanese wife in October 2002. In 2004, their children also returned to Japan after a second top-level meeting.

Since retiring from the association in 2007, Toru has continued to campaign for the release of further abductees believed to be in North Korea. He insisted that the families of the remaining abductees have so far been foiled by maneuvers from the government which wants to close the issue as soon as possible.

Hasuike said the government was just conducting a massive public campaign by creating TV commercials for advocacy and inviting foreign media to cover the issue. “Keeping the public informed of the issue is important. But it's not the government's main job. Their campaign trucks, for example, are like vehicles of right-wing campaigners.”

Hasuike said the government has manufactured an abnormal nationalism over North Korea. “They've created an enemy, and have got Japanese people shouting that North Korea is evil. Hating each other does not bring any positive results."

Hasuike also pointed out that news media treat the families of abductees as taboo. “The media still feel guilty that they have not covered the issue. I think they're having a brain freeze. What is important for us is to have an atmosphere in which we can have diversified opinions (on the issue) in society.”

Hasuike said he is now suspicious about politicians. “Some politicians organize research groups. But all of them take an extreme stance. None of them are moderate. Some politicians seem to believe they can obtain public support just by wearing blue ribbons.” He said he has no intention to become a politician.

Hasuike now thinks the abduction issue should be dealt with step by step while Japan and North Korea discuss normalization of relations. “I used to be called a 'hard-line leader' and requested economic sanctions to rescue other abductees. I now feel I did not have cool mind at that time but I have gradually changed my mind.”

Hasuike said Japan should not expect much support from the United States, and thinks the abduction issue is basically a bilateral issue between Japan and North Korea. “Americans are good at lip service. The U.S. would tackle the issue quickly enough if it were about its own people. Japanese politicians just want the U.S. to praise them.”

He suggested that Prime Minister Taro Aso hold a summit with Kim Jong-il.

© Japan Today

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20 Comments
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I like this guy. I have felt for years that the only people who are committed to this issue are the families involved. For the politicians it is just a vehicle to drive other issues.

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"Hasuike said the government has manufactured an abnormal nationalism over North Korea. “They’ve created an enemy, and have got Japanese people shouting that North Korea is evil. Hating each other does not bring any positive results.”

Bang on, Hasuike! I thought this was actually going to be another person saying the government has been to SOFT on NK and should impose further sanctions, push Obama to in turn push NK, etc., but I am very surprised and happy that this man -- DIRECTLY involved in what has happened to his family -- sees that truth; the Japan is using NK as a means of inciting nationalistic fervor, and as an excuse to push their own political agendas. The man is 100% bang on: hatred solves nothing. On this issue that is as plain as day; progress was being made until bush stepped in and made NK part of the axis of evil. This caused them to back out on any progress, in turn forcing Japan to take the extreme position it has now, which has lost Japan all of its credibility in the six-nation talks, etc.

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Abe used this issue like a drum to become PM, which of course he failed at miserably. It has been blown way out of proportion to reality and is used, as mentioned above, as a tool to help the LDP maintain power. No progress will be made on this essentially really minor issue until the LDP is out of power and Japan, as suggested, deals with NK directly and honestly on the matter as part of a broad new relationship with NK. Meanwhile the NK flacks will kick Japan's ass politically over this silly matter.

Aso is incapable of making any improvements at all. He is a loser first class, worse that Abe in some ways as he does not know how ineffective he is, at least not yet.

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hatred solves nothing. On this issue that is as plain as day; progress was being made until bush stepped in and made NK part of the axis of evil.

Yuppers, that darn silly ole G Bush demanding that N Korea give up a nuke program, ruined our chances for getting some missing folks back. Now hopefully we can get Obama to sing kumbaya a few times and convince the dear leader to at least use green and environmentally friendly nukes................

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I'm glad sarcasm is not considered off topic, I will be more carefull of citing facts in the future........

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****READER BLASTS EX-ABDUCTEES BROTHER OVER STANCE TOWARD N. KOREA

I am not sure what Toru is trying to condone here. He says the Japanese government has created an enemy, yet he wants the folks NK abducted returned...were their abductions also a fabrication? He says Taro should hold talks with Kim Jong-Il, didn't US presidents J. Carter and B. Clinton do that and gained promises from the Kim which they never kept. Why would the promises made to Taro be any different? He says efforts of families have been foiled by the government? How so, they refused to grant immigration visas to returnees freed by the NK's? This guy is just another appeaser of radical wack jobs in power. The power to end this issue is clearly and 100% in N. Korean control, however, like the nuke power issue, a dying regime such as that one will never give up any of their ace cards readily......... not as long as their are folks like Toru Hasuike around to plead their case for them.....

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It is a bilateral issue. The US should stay out of the abduction issue. The Japanese government is being leaned on by big business not to push N. Korea too much -- since the Japanese have an affinity for cheap seafood and how would Uniglo, Aoki etc. stock their shelves with cheap clothes if it wasn't for N.Korean sweat shops. It looks like shaming Japanese politicians is not working, so the abductee supporters need to shame the Japanese people. Publicize the companies doing business with N. Korea and/or the intermediaries...

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I think he guy has lost his mind. Too many contradictions in his line of thinking.

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I think he guy has lost his mind.

Yes, so he will be silenced soon either by j-Govt or j-Media.

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"I think they’re having a brain freeze" Media in Japan just report. Not investigate.

North Korean abduction issue helps the government keeping people busy not looking at other problems.

Taro: "Where is my pension record?"

Gov: "North Korea abducted our citizens!"

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I agree with Toru. The J-govt are using the issue to whip up Japanese Nationalism by presenting the prefect enemy, North Korea, but the J-govt don't actually do anything about the abduction issue. It's all media and advertising, but no substance.

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Yuppers, that darn silly ole G Bush demanding that N Korea give up a nuke program,

As I recall, many people on the Right, such as John Bolton, were unhappy about this development. It was not a "demand" that was acceded to but rather achieved through "negotiation." And "we don't negotiate with evil we defeat it," right?

The abductee issue is a bilateral one between Japan and North Korea.

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This guy is just another appeaser of radical wack jobs in power.

The same could be said of GWB, and it was when he negotiated with the Norks, as had Clinton, breaking with the policy of "rogue state rollback" which had yielded no results (except the advancement of North Korea's nuclear ambitions). Maybe Toru is on to something...

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Tough situation to deal with. Too bad the J-government has no intention of actually resolving it. Who would they use to stir up resentment and create the myopic world view they need to stay in power?

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While I don't agree with all his points, he's essentially saying that the people of Japan have been poorly served by their government on this issue (and others), and that I'd tend to agree with.

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he has hit the nail on the head .cos the jp govt and media has been misleading its people.lets see more jp standing up to speak

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By his logic, he needs to apologize to North Korea for Japanese occupation. The leap in logic is just absurd.

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Censored media. Why bother writing a comment here? It will only be removed just like in North Korea.

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I find Japan to be very hypocritical on the issue of abduction.

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The J-govt is weak and non functional diplomatically. Which works fine when dealking with normal nations on a cordial basis. Buit not with a rogue state like NKorea. If Japan wants to carry and weight with NKorea it needs to trash article 9 and build a real military, something that the NKoreans will be really afraid of. And we will be happy to sell you the goods. The US will protect Japan, hell even Nuke a country that nukes Japan if it comes to it, but we can't throw our weight into bilateral issues. Especially sticky ones. Japan wake up and stop legislating everything to death, just do it.

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