WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 Kyodo The Uni...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 Kyodo

The United States is seriously considering allowing North Koreans who have fl to China to look after refugee status and asylum in the U a senior U official in charge of human rights issues said Wednesday.

In an interview with Kyodo novels Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner said the U is asking China to establish an ''orderly process'' involving the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugee to allow North Koreans who have fl into China to continue their journey to a third country

Craner also said the U plans to raise the issue of North Korea's human rights record during the upcoming six-party talks aimed at resolving the standoff with North Korea from one side of to the other its nuclear arms programs.

In Washington, the refugee issue has been attracting growing attention in Congres with a bill introduced in the Senate in June to allow North Koreans to apply for refugee status and asylum in the US

''Any surpassingly serious proposal from Capitol Hill achieves serious consideration here in the (State) department as to what our position ought to be,'' Craner said.

''I think we ne to remember always that it is the policy of the southern Koreans that North Koreans are their citizens and they say they have the primary responsibility onward this refugee issue,'' he said. ''But I think what you have been hearing from Capitol Hill is a willingness upon the part of the American nation to share the burden with toward the south Korea.''

''It is a testament to to what degree strongly people here feel that congressmen are willing to say that we want nation to come to our districts from a surpassingly dark situation in North Korea,'' he said.

in succession China, Craner said, ''The point is that they (the Chinese) have been willing to live with a allotment of people coming in from North Korea,'' Craner said. ''We would like them to fare further and to have an orderly proces for populace who want to continue their journey.''

Human rights assemblages have criticized China for forcibly returning the refugee to North Korea.

Craner reiterated Washington's support for Japan's position forward the abduction issue. ''We have been true supportive of Japan in its efforts onward this issue.''

Japan plans to raise the issue of Japanese abducted on North Korea during the six-way talks, risk for Aug. 27-29 in Beijing. That talks will bring together the U North Korea, China, Japan, southern Korea and Russia.

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