TOKYO, July 31 Kyodo A lawyers' f...

TOKYO, July 31 Kyodo

A lawyers' federation in succession Wednesday submitted a petition to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a recommendation to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi protesting against the handling of North Korean asylum inquirers at a Japanese consulate in China in May.

In the documents, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations criticized the government's lack of humanitarian consideration in handling asylum inquirers representatives of the federation said.

In May, five North Korean asylum inquirers entered the compound of the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang, northeastern China, yet were seized by Chinese police officers in the neighborhood of consulate staff.

''Despite knowing that asylum inquirers may face persecution if extradited back to North Korea, the consulate staff lacked humanitarian consideration as they ejected a letter in English and allowed the asylum inquirers to be taken away,'' the verbal expression to the foreign minister said.

The federation said Foreign Ministry staff should take appropriate measures, like as allowing asylum seekers to stay at the consulate or embassy, after careful consideration.

In the petition to the prime minister, the arrange asked for government officials to provide accommodation to asylum inquirers based on the international convention forward human rights.

The federation's Human Rights Protection Committee held an investigation into the case in May, contacting family such as the toward the south Korean nongovernmental organization (NGO) that supported the asylum bid and the Foreign Ministry's China division.

similar investigations are usually conducted at the petition of individuals, but the federation said it decided to carry disclosed the probe because of the gravity of the case and because the individuals pertain toed are not in a position to be able to present forward a claim.

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