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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan contemplating sanctions against North Korea |
| 2004-12-10 |
| Edited for brevity. Japanese lawmakers urged the government on Friday to consider sanctions on North Korea -- a reflection of public anger after Tokyo said bones claimed by Pyongyang to belong to kidnapped Japanese were of other people. North Korea handed over the bones at talks in Pyongyang in November, saying they were the remains of Megumi Yokota and Kaoru Matsuki, two of 13 Japanese who Pyongyang has admitted abducting in the 1970s and 1980s to help teach spies about Japan. Ruling and opposition party lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution at a meeting of a parliamentary panel on the abduction issue but others in the government, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, are more cautious about the idea. The resolution, which called on the government to strongly consider sanctions, also urged Tokyo to suspend all food and humanitarian aid until North Korea responds "sincerely" to Japan's efforts to find out about its missing citizens. |
| Posted by:Dar |