Sen. Brownback Condemns North Korean Sponsored Kidnappings
(Press conference with families of abducted Japanese on March 5) (660)
In a March 5 press conference, which included the families of Japanese
abducted by North Korea, Senator Sam Brownback (Republican of Kansas)
harshly criticized the Pyongyang regime.
Brownback called the kidnapping of thirteen Japanese citizens, most of
them children, in the 1970s and 1980s "a dastardly and cowardly act,
unworthy of any nation."
Brownback, the chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific
Affairs, met with the families of the victims earlier as part of his
effort to "address the ongoing abuse of human rights by North Korea."
The Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the House also met with the
Japanese families.
Brownback said that the abductions are a type of "humanitarian horror
perpetrated by North Korea." He added: "Many of these families have
not seen their sons, daughters, sisters and brothers for 20 years of
more."
Noting that North Korea is a danger to the whole region, Brownback
demanded that they settle their problems in a multilateral way.
North Korea has long dismissed the kidnapping claims as fiction. But
in September 2002, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il admitted to the
kidnappings and told the Japanese Prime Minister that only four of the
victims were still alive.
Following is the press release as issued by Senator Brownback's
office:
(begin text)
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2003
BROWNBACK HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE WITH FAMILIES OF JAPANESE ABDUCTED BY
N. KOREA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback today held a news conference with
families of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North Korean
government.
"Earlier this week, I met with some of the families who have been
victimized by a type of humanitarian horror perpetrated by North
Korea: the kidnapping of Japanese children by North Korean agents,"
Brownback said. "Many of these families have not seen their sons,
daughters, sisters and brothers for 20 years or more.
"Only recently has the North Korean regime admitted to this crime, and
now, they are refusing to allow families like these to get any kind of
closure or real reunion with their relatives. The North Korean
government has refused to provide any proof of the deaths of these
people or to allow the survivors to return to Japan with their
children.
"This is a dastardly and cowardly act, unworthy of any nation. It is
important for the American people to hear the stories of these
families so that we know exactly the kind of terrible regime we face
in North Korea. As President Bush rightly said, this country is evil.
North Korea is killing and repressing its own people, threatening its
neighbors, provoking war with the U.S. and kidnapping children from
foreign countries.
"It is vitally important that the U.S. Administration stick to the
policy of demanding that the North Koreans settle their problems in a
multilateral way. North Korea's breach of the Agreed Framework and its
pursuit of nuclear materials endangers the whole region. Why then,
should the U.S. sit down to talk with this mad man alone?
"We must remember that North Korea's threat to global security is not
merely a nuclear issue-but by creating a humanitarian crisis in the
region, it threatens the stability of this entire part of the world.
We can and must have the cooperation of the countries most directly
involved in stopping this threat.
"I am pleased to welcome these friends from Japan-and thankful that
the Japanese government is willing to work with the U.S. to peacefully
resolve this threat," Brownback said.
In the 107th Congress, Brownback introduced legislation to allow North
Korean refugees to apply for refugee status or asylum. North Koreans
who flee into neighboring China are regularly repatriated back to
North Korea and often face terrible labor camps or execution. As
chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs subcommittee, Brownback
plans to introduce similar legislation in the 108th Congress.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
