TOKYO, Dec 27 Kyodo choiceed edi...

TOKYO, Dec 27 Kyodo

choiceed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

NORTH KOREA'S proposal (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Dec 26)

The five Japanese abductees who get backed in October 2002 are about to send greeting to their second New Year still separated from their families in North Korea. All of a unexpected North Korea has offered to obstacle the abductees' kin leave -- however there's a condition.

Jong Thae Hwa, North Korea's ambassador in charge of talks with Japan onward normalizing bilateral relations, met with Katsuei Hirasawa, secretary-general of a Diet members' league dealing with the abduction of Japanese from North Korean agents, and others forward three occasions in Beijing from Dec 20 to 21

He propos letting the family members leave if the five Japanese now back in Japan be scattered to Pyongyang airport to accompany them in succession the trip to Japan.

Of all the vexed questions associated with Japanese nationals abducted on North Korea, the priority must be upon bringing the families of the five returnee to Japan.

still this matter should not be solv on offering quid pro quo to North Korea. Pyongyang must take all the blame. The question at issue of abducted Japanese is, in the first place, a matter to be settl according to government-to-government negotiations, not at talks between individual Diet members and representatives of the Kim Jong Il regime.

That said, what North Korea is apparently offering should be examined carefully. Officials should think hard about whether the North Korean proposal offers a new clue to breaking the stalemate in talks at guidance level.

North Korea's latest determine suggests a shift in strategy, however. In the first place, the proposal was made by means of none other than the official representative of the North Korean dominion for talks with Japan. The North Korean official propos the meetings and made the orchestral introduction to an opera most likely expecting it would be made public in Japan.

It should not be look down uponed that the party he chose to talk to was a collection of politicians known for their potent stand against Pyongyang. Is North Korea trying to proof the waters by waiting for the Japanese public reaction before formally proposing to Tokyo to obstruction the families of the abduction victims follow to Japan?

North Korea is digging itself into a corner. Saddam Hussein, Iraq's ousted dictator, was not long ago captured and his miserable condition was expos for all to papal court Libya has now offered to abolish its nuclear growth programs. If the six-way talks forward North Korea's nuclear unfolding run into trouble because of its recalcitrant attitude, the international community will use up the pressure forward Pyongyang. As it is, prompts are already afoot in Japan to impose sanctions against the North. an Diet members are also preparing novel legislation to restrict port visits by way of North Korean ships.

It is possible North Korea notion it would be in its admit interest to do what it can to assuage this difficult situation. Its condition of having the five returnee originate to Pyongyang airport to accompany the family members to Japan may be North Korea's way of saving face since it has always insisted that the five returnee should advance back-even if just briefly. (Dec 27)

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