On Chinese abductees

From NARKN News Sep. 2, 2006

Delegates from AFVKN and NARKN who had visited China came back to Japan on August 31. The following is a part of basic materials which the delegation handed to some Chinese semi-officials. 

■　Basic Information regarding Chinese abductees who had disappeared from Macao

Abductees’ names

Ms. Hong Leng-ieng born in 1957　

Ms. So Mio-chun　　 born in 1955 or 1956



Profession at the time of abduction

Jewelry shop staffs at the Hotel Lisboa in Macao



Kidnapped Time and Place

Disappeared in Macao on July 2, 1978



Background of the abduction case

　A Thai woman Anocha Panjoy, worked as a massager, disappeared in Macao on the same day. Ms. Hitomi Soga and her husband Mr. Jenkins who returned to Japan in 2005 testified with detailed information that Ms. Anocha was abducted by North Koreans (See material #1). 

　In his book, Confessions – To Tell the Truth (published by Kadokawa Shoten in 2005), Mr. Jenkins says that he heard from Ms. Anocha that there were two Asian women beside her in the ship when she was abducted from Macao. Thus, it is highly likely that Ms. Hong and Ms. So who disappeared on the same day were also abducted to North Korea. 

　Meanwhile, the South Korean actress Ms. Choi Un-hee who was abducted from Hong Kong in 1978 and managed to escape from Vienna in 1986 mentioned in her book, The Echo From Darkness (published by Ikeda Shoten in 1988 and Bungei Shunjyu in 1989, paperback edition) that a Macanese woman named Ms. Hong was living in her neighboring guest house and she and Ms. Hong had a close relationship. 

　Delegates from AFVKN and NARKN visited South Korea on December 13, 2005, and interviewed Ms. Choi Un-hee. As asked to confirm whether it is Ms. Hong Leng-ieng or not by being shown Ms. Hong’s picture which was taken before she disappeared, Ms. Choi verified that the woman she had met in North Korea was undoubtedly Ms. Hong. Furthermore, the delegates interviewed Ms. Choi about personal information she heard from Ms. Hong in details. (Material #2）.

　Delegates from AFVKN and NARKN visited Macao on January 13, 2006 and interviewed Ms. Hong’s family. When they confirmed whether information on Ms. Hong provided by Ms. Choi matches her family’s understanding, almost all the information matched. 

　As requested by Ms. Hong’s family members, AFVKN and NARKN arranged meeting between Ms. Hong’s family and Ms. Choi in Seoul on March 18, 2006. 





Material #1　

Three foreign abductees whom Ms. Hitomi Soga knows



　On May 28, 2005, Teruaki Masumoto (Secretary General of AFVKN) and Tsutomu Nishioka (Permanent Vice-Chairman of NARKN) interviewed Ms. Hitomi Soga in Sado-City. 



A Thai female abductee

Name:　　　 Anocha （According to Mr. Jenkin’s recollection, the name was heard as “Anoche”）

Birthday:　 About two years elder than Ms. Soga. Assumed to be born some time between August to October.　

Abduction: Ms. Anocha told Ms. Hitomi Soga that she was deceived and kidnapped to North Korea in July 1978, being offered a job in Japan. Mr. Jenkins wrote in his book that “she is said to have been abducted in the streets of Macao and put on a boat.”. 



Place of Birth 　 Farm land in Thai. She came to Macao for job. 

Family　　　 Father, Mother (passed away), and an elder brother

1980 　 Married to the US deserter Mr. Larry Abshier

　　　　 They lived in a one-story house at Sungho-kuyok Ripsokri （20 minutes away from center of Pyongyang by car）in Pyongyang City. Her house was close to Ms. Soga’s family and they were able to visit each other. 

1983 July 10　 Mr. Abshier died from disease. No child between the two. 

1987 December　Moved to a two-story apartment (two households for each floor) in Sungho-kuyok Ripsokri where she lived alone at the second floor. Ms. Soga and her family also moved to and became a next door neighbor.
　　

1989　 She moved out from the apartment and has not been seen again. Destination is unknown.

　　　　 Since she left, the room was vacant.





Material #2

Testimony by Ms. Choi Un-hee regarding a Macanese woman Ms. Hong （Tsutomo Nishioka, the permanent vice-chairman of NARKN, interviewed Ms. Choi in Seoul on December 13, 2005）

　

・In autumn 1978, Ms. Choi saw Ms. Hong at an entrance of a lodging facility near Kumgangsan Mountain. She was with another female from Macao.

・During around June 1979 through September 20th, Ms. Choi often talked with Ms. Hong who lived in Pyongyang Tongbukri guest house No. 4. Ms. Choi lived in a facility next to Ms. Hong’s. 

・Ms. Choi also had chances to talk with Ms. Hong during January 22, 1982 through March 8th.

・Then Ms. Choi learned that Ms. Hong was teaching Chinese to North Korean agents

・After 1983, as Ms. Choi’s work on movies with reunited film director Shin became busy, she had not talked with or met Ms. Hong ever since.

・Usually called her “Miss. Kon” and never knew her first name 

・Ms. Hong was a Catholic and her Christian name was Maria. In 1982, Ms. Choi went to the forest with her and was baptized, sinking to chest in fallen leaves. Ms. Hong said that she was not qualified to baptize, but under such circumstances, she could do so.

・Ms. Hong’s mother and younger brother lived in Macao. Her father was a college professor in mainland China and could not come with the family when escaping to Macao.

・Her mother was making a living through sewing.

・Ms. Choi was a volleyball player in high school.

・After graduating from high school, she wanted to go on to university yet she decided to work instead to have her younger brother go to university.

・Ms. Hong worked for a jewelry shop and did tour guide as a side business

・In the summer when she was 20, she guided two men who claimed to be Japanese to the beach. There she met a woman who she never met before. The two men put the two women on a boat and after rowing to the shore they were forcefully put on a bigger ship and brought to North Korea

・According to Ms. Hong, there was the other woman looked 10 years older and worked for a bar. As she was socially experienced, the older woman strongly protested with the officials. Contrary, Ms. Hong kept on crying. After being abducted, the two were brought to a foreign currency shop near the embassy district to buy daily commodity. Ms. Hong rushed into the facility of the Indonesian Embassy for help yet was brought back to the North Korean authority. After this, Ms. Hong parted with the other woman. 

・Ms. Choi never heard of a Thai female from Ms. Hong

・After brought to North Korea, Ms. Hong developed a stomach problem. She also underwent uterine surgery. 

・Ms. Hong also said to Ms. Choi that she had participated in Kim Jong-il’s secretive parties. At a party Kim Jong-il said he would arrange good marriage for her. 

・Ms. Choi said that if Ms. Hong’s family members were to come to South Korea, she is willing to meet them. And she would like to help rescue Ms. Hong. 





From NARKN News January 15, 2006



■Teruaki Masumoto (Secretary General of AFVKN) and Tsutomu Nishioka (Permanent Vice-Chairman of NARKN) met with family members of a Macao China national victim abducted by North Korea. 



Teruaki Masumoto and Tsutomu Nishioka met with family members of a potential abductee whose nationality is Macao China. As a result of this meeting, Ms. Hong Leng-ieng has been verified of being abducted by North Korea. AFVKN and NARKN will now work together to clarify the case and demand the return of Ms. Hong Leng-ieng. 

　

# Meeting Date: January 13, 2006 18:00pm to around 20:00pm 

# Meeting Place: A hotel in Macao 

# Victim Profile: 

- Hong Leng-ieng 

- Born in 1957

- Disappeared in Macao on July 2, 1978 

- Worked as a Jewelry Shop Staff at a hotel in Macao

- On the same day, her colleague Ms. So Mio-chun and a Thai woman Ms. Anocha Panjoy disappeared from the scene as well.

- A returned South Korean abductee Ms. Choi Un-hee has testified that she saw Ms. Hong in North Korea.

# Family Members who met with Japanese Rescue Movement delegation: 

Hong Leng-chun　(younger brother), born in 1959
　　　　　　　

The father (from his personal request, the name is not made public), born in 1922 



Summary of the meeting:

Nishioka first conveyed the testimony he had heard in South Korea from Ms. Choi Un-hee to the family members of Ms. Hong Leng-ieng and confirmed the details. As a result, with the exception of the information regarding the person who was abducted together with Ms. Hong, all the factors matched with the family’s understanding. 

The father and younger brother of Ms. Hong said, “Judging from what we have heard today and what is stated by Ms. Choi in her book, it is highly likely that that our loved one has been kidnapped.” 

The younger brother also said, “As brothers who have their older sisters held captive in North Korea, Mr. Masumoto and I share the same tragedy. So, I have been waiting to meet Mr. Masumoto and work together to bring back our sisters in safe as soon as possible.” 

Moreover, Ms. Hong’s father stated, “I want to convey my deepest sympathy towards Mr. Masumoto who has long been fighting to bring back his older sister. Also, we appreciate Mr. Nishioka for giving us this quite valuable information on my daughter.” 

Masumoto explained about rescue movement in Japan, but the two family members responded by saying that “we fully share the objective, yet at this point we would rather keep quiet and avoid holding any press conference.” 

Masumoto asked if they were concerned about the danger that might fall upon their captive family in North Korea when they spoke out. The two men didn’t want to elaborate on that point. 

However, the two expressed their hope to continue sharing information with AFVKN and NARKN to clarify the issue.

Masumoto and Nishioka promised that they would demand rescue of all the abductees including Ms. Hong in Japan as well as international community. 



●The consistencies and the discrepancies between the recognition of the family members of Ms. Hong and the testimony made by the South Korean abductee Ms. Choi. 



・Ms. Choi testified that she had heard from Ms. Hong that her “mother and younger brother lives in Macao” and her “father is a professor at a university in mainland China and could not come with the family when escaping to Macao.” This testimony totally matches with the description of the Ms. Hong’s family.



・The occupation of Ms. Hong’s mother “needlework” also matches the family’s description. 

・The occupation of Ms. Hong’s father almost matches the family’s description as well. Although he was not a teacher at a university, he had graduated from a university and taught at a junior high school. 

※ In Ms. Choi’s book published in 1988, she writes “Ms. Hong’s father was a teacher in mainland China.” 

・The testimony that Ms. Hong’s religion was Catholic also matches. The family members did not know the Christian name of “Maria”, so further research is to be done on this point. 

・The testimony of Ms. Hong being a volleyball player in high school is also correct. She played volleyball for three years in high school and was selected as a member of the Macao team. 

※This information is not written in the book written by Ms. Choi.

・Ms. Choi testified of Ms. Hong saying that she “wanted to go on to university, but decided to work instead to send her younger brother to university.” This completely matches with the family’s description. She offered her mother that she would work in order to pay her younger brother’s tuition.

・The job, “jewelry store staff”, is exactly correct. 

・The testimony that Ms. Hong was working as a “tour guide for side-business” almost matches. She was selling tickets for dog races. However, one week before her disappearance, she told her mother that someone had asked her to be a tour guide and she would accept that with her colleague. According to the younger brother, this might have been the first time she has ever done a tour guide. 

・Her age at the abduction, “a summer when she was 20 years old”, perfectly matches. 

・The only information that does not match with the family members’ recognition was the person Ms. Hong was kidnapped along with. Ms. Choi testified that “(Ms. Hong) guided two self-proclaimed Japanese men to the beach and met a woman who she has never met and looked 10 years older than her. The woman worked for a bar.” However, the person who disappeared on the same day with Ms. Hong was her colleague Ms. So Mio-chun at the jewelry store. Ms. So was 22 years old then. The two families had known each other before they both disappeared. The families called each other back on the next day. There is no doubt that they disappeared together. According to the assumption of the younger brother of Ms. Hong, the woman might be the Thai abductee Ms. Anocha Panjoy.



●The testimony of Ms. Choi regarding Ms. Hong— Interviewed by Nishioka in Seoul on December 13, 2005



・In autumn 1978, Ms. Choi saw Ms. Hong at an entrance of a lodging facility near Kumgangsan Mountain. She was with another female from Macao.

・During around June 1979 through September 20th, Ms. Choi often talked with Ms. Hong who lived in Pyongyang Tongbukri guest house No. 4. Ms. Choi lived in a facility next to Ms. Hong’s. 

・Ms. Choi also had the chance to talk with Ms. Hong during January 22, 1982 through March 8th.

・Then Ms. Choi learned that Ms. Hong was teaching Chinese to North Korean agents

・After 1983, as Ms. Choi’s work on movies with reunited film director Shin became busy, she had not talked with or met Ms. Hong ever since.

・Usually called her “Miss. Kon” and never knew her first name 

・Ms. Hong was a Catholic and her Christian name was Maria. In 1982, Ms. Choi went to the forest with her and was baptized, sinking to chest in fallen leaves. Ms. Hong said that she was not qualified to baptize, but under such circumstances, she could do so.

・Ms. Hong’s mother and younger brother lived in Macao. Her father was a college professor in mainland China and could not come with the family when escaping to Macao.

・Her mother was making a living through sewing.

・Ms. Choi was a volleyball player in high school.

・After graduating from high school, she wanted to go on to university yet she decided to work instead to have her younger brother go to university.

・Ms. Hong worked for a jewelry shop and did tour guide as a side business

・In the summer when she was 20, she guided two men who claimed to be Japanese to the beach. There she met a woman who she never met before. The two men put the two women on a boat and after rowing to the shore they were forcefully put on a larger ship and brought to North Korea

・According to Ms. Hong, there was the other woman looked 10 years older and worked for a bar. As she was socially experienced, the older woman strongly protested with the officials. Contrary, Ms. Hong kept on crying. After being abducted, the two were brought to a foreign currency shop near the embassy district to buy daily commodity. Ms. Hong rushed into the facility of the Indonesian Embassy for help yet was brought back to the North Korean authority. After this, Ms. Hong parted with the other woman. 

・Ms. Choi never heard of a Thai female from Ms. Hong

・After brought to North Korea, Ms. Hong developed a stomach problem. She also underwent uterine surgery. 

・Ms. Hong also said to Ms. Choi that she had participated in Kim Jong-il’s secretive parties. At a party Kim Jong-il said he would arrange good marriage for her. 

・Ms. Choi said that if Ms. Hong’s family members were to come to South Korea, she is willing to meet them. And she would like to help rescue Ms. Hong. 

Japan’s unilateral sanctions against North Korea

 will contribute towards rescuing the abductees!

  Imposing immediate economic sanctions against North Korea for their inhumane act of abducting numerous Japanese citizens will contribute in rescuing these abductees. Indeed, if we fail to impose sanctions now, this would cause a serious setback in resolving this problem.

Japan’s unilateral sanctions will convey to both the domestic and international society, the strong determination of our nation to rescue all the abductees. 

  Now that Kim Jon-Il’s insincere and criminal behaviors to return fake remaining bodies of a Japanese abducted victim has been revealed, we must take strong action and impose sanctions against them to make clear that we will never tolerate such violence. If we hesitate to take that necessary action, we will end up sending a passive message that we do not take those crimes seriously. 

  Some people claim that Japan’s sanctions may not be effective because China and South Korea are already supporting North Korea’s economic losses by providing aid through unmonitored channels.

This perspective is simply insufficient, ignoring that sanctions are synonymous to asserting our national will and dignity towards the DPRK. We believe that our strong determination as a nation will force North Korea to change their policy towards Japan. 

Presumed Effect (Part 1): 

Sanctions will send Japan’s clear message to North Korea so that the leadership will be forced to change the policy towards Japan.



The sanctions are intended to send a strong message to Kim Jong-Il. Once Japan implements unilateral sanctions, Kim Jong-Il will learn our unbending determination to rescue the abductees and he will be forced to replace those officials who have drafted the fake scenario of stating that, “eight abductees died, and the other two did not enter North Korea.” Also, his regime will learn that without the resolve of the abduction issue, there will never be normalization of diplomatic relationship with Japan and economic aid will never be provided. This will result to the leadership in Pyongyang to plan for the complete resolution of the abduction cases. Economic sanctions indeed aims for this effect.

Presumed Effect (Part 2): 

Sanctions will inform the successor of Kim Jong-Il that they will receive no economic aid from Japan unless all abductees safely return to their home country.



  Sanctions will send a message to the post-Kim-Jong-Il leadership. As we know very well, North Korean people’s support for Kim Jong-Il has hit its lowest bottom, and their domestic politics is unstable. A likely scenario of a coup d’etat; an armed force (army or political police) will assassinate or arrest Kim Jong-Il, resulting in a possible temporary insecurity and civil war. In preparation for that event, we must plan on rescuing the abductees in North Korea. Hence, it is important to send a message in advance that Japan takes the abductees’ life very seriously. We need to let the leadership in Pyongyang know that they have to send all abductees back home in order to receive food and economic aid from Japan. Once that message reaches them, when a regime change takes place in North Korea, those who have toppled the Kim Jong-Il regime will order the intelligence agency to secure all abductees, so that they will not be killed in street combats. Again, it is important to express the determination and our anger by taking solitary sanctions against North Korea.

Presumed Effect (Part 3): 

Sanctions will drive South Korea, China, and Russia to work for rescuing the abductees.



Sanctions will also send a message to South Korea, China, and Russia. These three countries, who are hesitant to see an economic blockade against North Korea under the initiative of the U.S., have been trying to persuade Kim Jong-Il to make concessions on the nuclear development issue, with a hope that Japan will provide financial resource after the expected normalization between the two countries. Once Japan imposes sanctions against North Korea on account of the abduction crimes, Kim Jong-Il’s decision for concessions on the nuclear issue will not be enough to lift this targeted sanction which is aimed to resolving the abduction issue. Japan will not offer any financial resources if this crime were to be left unsettled. Eventually, South Korea, China and Russia will be forced to persuade Kim Jong-Il to take steps on the abduction issue so that Japan’s demands are fully met. In other words, imposing unilateral sanctions on account of abductions will provide the best leverage in pushing these three countries to take such action.



Presumed Effect (Part 4): 

Sanction will provide a step towards the inclusion of the abduction issue in the U.N. Security Council Resolution. 



Our solitary sanctions will be a significant first step in prompting multi-national sanctions by the U.N. Security Council. Unless we do not impose sanctions ourselves, other countries will not understand the imminence of this problem as well as the necessity to support this cause. When the U.N. Security Council discusses North Korea’s nuclear development issue in the near future, its resolution will expectedly state, “the sanctions against North Korea will not be lifted unless it abandons nuclear weapon development”. We believe that it is important to persuade the Council to also add that “the sanctions will not be lifted unless North Korea releases all abductees from Japan, South Korea and other countries.” As seen, Japan’s action to impose economic sanctions is pivotal in bringing back not only the Japanese, but the South Korean and other various nationalities who were victimized by North Korea. 

Presumed Effect (Part 5):

Sanction will strengthen the Japan-US alliance



Those who claim that unilateral sanctions will not be effective ignore the big picture. They pretend to follow an idealistic belief in diplomacy that a settlement could be reached with the DPRK through mere dialogue and engagement. They have refused to think by their own intellect on how to dismantle the terrorist country, how to replace dictatorship with democracy and end its human rights abuses, how to maintain the overall security of the Korean peninsula. Instead they irresponsibly leave those issues to the U.S. to take care of. Our decision to impose sanctions against North Korea to rescue the abductees will be the first step towards taking an active role in disposing the Kim Jon-Il regime in cooperation with the Bush administration. Without such efforts, not only the Japan-US alliance, but also the security and prosperity of Japan will soon be at risk.

*The administration openly suggested imminent sanctions against North Korea in December 2004.

On December 24 2004, as all the “material evidence” including remains and death certificates provided by North Korea turned out to be fabrication, Japanese government openly referred to sanctions saying “Japan would have to take stern measures if North Korea doesn’t respond in an immediate and sincere manner” (remarks by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Hosoda). This warning was surely based on the assumption all the abductees are alive. However, North Korea has kept insisting that Japan falsified the result of examination regarding the remains. This is really outrageous. It is clear that there is no “immediate and sincere response”. 

Imposing economic sanctions is to show national will to retrieve all of the victims abducted to North Korea. If we hesitate to do so, we are to send a very dangerous message that Japan does not regard the abduction issue seriously. 

In 2004, the Diet has already enacted sanctions laws that suspend remittances from Japan and trade with North Korea and forbids entry of ships coming from North Korea. Special Committee on Abduction Issue of both Houses of the Diet approved imposing economic sanctions and Rachi Giren (Parliamentarian League for Early Repatriation of Japanese Citizens Kidnapped by North Korea) is calling for applying economic sanctions. Task Forces for the Resolution of Abduction Issue of the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Japan, and Komei Party are also demanding imposition of economic sanctions. Large majority of Japanese citizens is supporting for implementation of economic sanctions as well, which is reflected in more than five millions of signatures. They were handed in the government. Kazoku Kai (Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea) and Sukuukai (National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea) backed by assistance of Rachi Giren and participation of a lot of citizens, called for imposing economic sanctions by holding sit-in protest for 3 days around prime minister’s office in June 2005. 

In spite of the situation, Prime Minister Koizumi has not implemented economic sanctions. 


*U.S. Government imposing economic sanctions because of abduction issue of Japanese citizens

Since terrorism bombing of a KAL airliner in 1987, U.S. government has designated North Korea as a terrorist state. U.S. government has already imposed economic sanctions against North Korea. Since 2001, Kazoku Kai and Sukuukai have asked U.S. government to include abduction issue as a reason to designate North Korea as a terrorist state. Bush administration accepted the request and included abduction of Japanese citizens as one of the reasons to regard North Korea as a terrorist state in Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003 and 2004. In October 2004, U.S. congress passed North Korea Human Rights Act by unanimous consent in both Houses, which includes the regulation that U.S. government is unable to provide economic assistance except humanitarian assistance against North Korea until abduction issues of Japanese and South Korean citizens resolve. The U.S. government has taken steps to pressure North Korea for the Japanese victims. 

*Japan too must show national will by imposing sanctions.

 If Japan imposes economic sanctions because of the abduction issue, North Korea will ask Japan for their lifting. This will effectively bolster the Japan’s position. Japanese government has so far assisted North Korea by sending rice, which only benefits privileged class. We do not need to provide such an assistance but only need to say, “if you return Megumi and other abductees to Japan, we will allow Man Gyong Bong to enter Niigata port once a year.” 

Why Prime Minister Koizumi cannot do that? If Japanese government does not do so, Japan will be regarded as a country which does not resent even if its sovereignty is violated. 

Megumi was abducted at age 13 and became 41-year-old as of October 2005. On the day Megumi was abducted, she was walking on her way home from school as usual. She was abducted by North Korean spies, stuffed into a bag, and taken to a spy ship. She cried out “Mom, mom, help me!” so loudly that she was confined to a dark hold for 40 hours. In the hold, she continued crying out “Mom, mom!” scrabbling the concrete wall, so her nails were peeled off and covered in blood when the ship reached North Korea. 

We have to hear Megumi’s cry, “Mom”, as a cry for her “home land, Japan”. 

Whether the scale is large or small, a government is to protect its sovereignty and its own citizens. The most needed reform now is to realize the responsible government that can act determinedly. The government should show national will of retrieving all the abductees by imposing sanctions. Without that, it cannot save victims. The victims’ families who are aging and exhausted to rush around across the nation trying to retrieve their loved ones cannot have hope until the government shows an unwavering resolve.