Mike Cohen - At Large

Abductees... North Korea's kidnapped Japanese brides

On the 27th of April, at the US Congress a hearing into the record of the North Korean attempt to create a ethnic Japanese pool of children to be used as spies in Japan - will be discussed before the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Set to speak are - Mrs. Sakie Yokota;The Mother of Megumi Yokota, Japanese abductees’ who was kidnapped and brought to Japan as a teenager and held for many years.

A story that many never believed and sparks a story of images of a old John Travolta movie about a Russian spy town in the former Soviet Union that was built to look like a American town and city.

But there was no comedy in the case of these abductees - the words of verified reports of torture and abuse for decades are expected to be brought forward anew by others like Mr. Koh Myung Sup a South Korean abductee held in North Korea for 35 years.

It can be remembered when early on the last two decades; Professor Yoichi Shimada Vice Chairman, National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea.

When the Professor first brought the reports to light in Japan many could not believe the reports of a North Korean institute designed to create pseudo-Japanese of Korean ancestry to blend into Japan's society to work for the regime on Pyongyang.

But for Mr. Cho Chang-Ho Former, South Korean officer and POW held in North Korea for 43 years, the stories were real an and far from imagined.

People like; Ms. Lee Mi-Il, President, Korean War Abductees Family Union Vice Chairman, National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN), worked endlessly over the years to get back children of Japanese and South Korean families - many of whom were duped into being forced brides or breeders of the super spies of the North.

But the crop of spies and saboteurs who were later released back to Japan. The revalation of the program came after the collapse of North Korea's farming system and forced the "Hermit Kingdom" of the North to release many the people.

Most of whom were now in their forties back to Japan in exchange for increased food and aid shipments.

Mr. Cho Chang-Ho Former South Korean officer and POW held in North Korea for 43 years also is expected to shed light on rumors of Americans and other nationals long held in secret by the North..

While; Ms. Lee Mi-Il, President, Korean War Abductees Family Union claim that many more still suffer in the North from other parts of Asia is something perhaps that the Government here ought to look into?.
Could there be a Barangay in the North Korean vastness of Pinoy's? If the reports are true could the North be also creating "perfect" fake Pinoy spies - rumors abound of other camps of other nationalities as well Indonesian, Chinese, Russian, even when albeit unlikely of any success in the program.

The first word of which came to light as many of those “bred” or brainwashed to be spies for Pyongyang were once allowed to assimilate and brought to see that life in the rest of the world was not as their "brainwashing" taught them. Those some of whom taken as children as young as five - went to authorities and surrendered.

This is how the case with the Japanese first abductees’ who reintroduced into Japan turned themselves in to authorities and exposed to the world the program that few imagined existed was true.

It will be a interesting story... I wonder if any major coverage will be seen. other events for the hearings scheduled include this week:

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 10:30 a.m.

Full committee hearing,
“Iraq: Update on U.S. policy”

Room 2172 Rayburn
2:00 p.m.

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere hearing, “U.S. - Mexico Relations”
Room2172

Rayburn 2:00 p.m.

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations hearing,
“The Endangered Children of Northern Uganda”

Room 2200 Rayburn

2:00 p.m.

Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia hearing,

“U.S. Policy in Central Asia: Balancing Priorities (Part II)”

Room 2255 Rayburn

I'm sure the first item on Iraq Policy will be the major focus of attention of the reporters and bloggers- as well as the second item on the agenda on the US-Mexico hearings and reports. The other topics mostly focus on issues the foreign relations committee deals with and does a lot of good to channel US aid and programs to areas in need of support or attention in the world.

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