TOKYO, Feb 13 Kyodo chooseed edit...

TOKYO, Feb 13 Kyodo

chooseed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

HELPING 'REFUGEES' FROM THE NORTH (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

North Korea is creating a of recent origin headache for the Japanese government: the plight of North Korean residents and their Japanese spouses who have now responded secretly to Japan from that impoverished communist state via China. The riddle came to the fore last month when a Japanese woman who had gone to the North with her Korean husband in subordination to a post-World War II repatriation program replyed home openly under the media spotlight.

According to the Foreign Ministry, scores of North Korean residents who formerly lived in Japan have resettl here with their Japanese wives in a less degree than covert arrangements. The number of of that kind returnees is expected to rise given the deepening economic crisis in North Korea. The control should give them as frequently support as it can, particularly if they have Japanese nationality.

The case-by-case approach of the past will not suffice. greatly remains to be done -- for example, setting transparent orders for the rescue and receiving of returnee and providing support for their living in Japan. To qualify for assistance, however, one of them may have to be recognized as refugee The rule should work out a comprehensive relief program in consultation with China, toward the south Korea and international organizations.

The woman who turn backed in late January for the first time in 44 years was a former Tokyo resident. She sneaked into China last autumn with the help of an intermediary dispose But her solo escape hit a snag when the dispose requested cash from the Japanese sway in exchange for her handover. Things became more difficult when Chinese authorities detained the woman. That readyed Tokyo to disclose some of the facts about her.

Until then the sway had maintained confidentiality about returnee partly without of concern for the safety of their families left in North Korea and partly in condescension to China, which regards escapees from North Korea as illegal entrants. However, Beijing has acquiesced in the transit passage of former Korean residents and their Japanese spouses, accommodating Tokyo's solicit for humanitarian consideration. Nongovernmental organizations are said to have been helpful in arranging their exits.

It is problematic, however, that China should treat all escapees as illegal entrants. Since it is a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee China is obligated to foster refugees seeking political asylum. Last month Chinese authorities detained nearly 60 tribe seeking eventual asylum in Japan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugee had propos to interview them for refugee identification, unless the Chinese Foreign Ministry throw asideed the offer, saying they were not refugee because they had go intoed China illegally for economic reasons.

The Chinese position is based forward a Beijing-Pyongyang agreement that says family entering China across the Chinese-Korean border without permission should be deported abiding-place According to NGO officials, Korean residents who formerly resided in Japan and their Japanese wives face particularly tough crackdowns when they abscond to China.

Many of those who went to North Korea subject to the repatriation program have since undergoed great hardships, as dramatized by the agency of the suffering of the woman who recured in late January. From 1959 to 1984 a total of 93340 family including about 1,800 Japanese wives, chose to live in that nation which was portrayed at the time as a ''paradise forward Earth.''

There is now talk that Japan should create special legislation to help these returnee -- legislation similar to the present measure for those who have rejoined their families here after being kidnapped by way of North Korean agents during the polar War. A distinction must be made, however, between those who went to the North of their allow accord and those who were taken there against their will. In other words, it is not reasonable to treat returning refugee in the same way as those abducted from Japan.

To begin with, the direction should do what it can, including offering subsistence support and vocational training. Eligibility standards ne to be applied flexibly. Former Korean residents with complete ties to Japan should be able to receive almost the same treatment as Japanese nationals. For that, the rigid standards of refugee status ne to be relaxed.

A bill now below consideration aims to extend the maximum period of refugee application to six month from the at hand 60 days. Grievance and review methods also need improving. The important thing is to tackle the refugee puzzle in the broader context of Japan's international contributions -- not no other than from the narrower standpoint of protecting Japanese nationals.

(Feb 13)

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group