Posted on 08/21/2003 11:06:53 PM PDT by HAL9000
The government and concerned public organizations are preparing to keep a close eye on the Man Gyong Bong-92, a North Korean passenger-cargo ship, after an agent for the ship applied Tuesday for permission for the ship to call at Niigata-Nishi Port on Aug. 25.The central government, the Japan Coast Guard, the Immigration Bureau, the Customs and Tariff Bureau and other concerned organizations confirmed plans to implement a strict watch on and inspection of the ship when it docks at Niigata-Nishi Port.
The government is determined to carry out inspections even if Pyongyang demands that Japan stop or relax them during the six-way talks that begin Aug. 27 in Beijing, according to sources.
"It's a rightful execution of the law based on Japan's domestic legislation," a government official said.
After watching a press conference held by the pro- North Korean General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) about the port call on Tuesday, a government official said, "Because the ship has very carefully taken measures to pass Japanese safety checks, it will surely enter the port this time."
The government anticipated that the Man Gyong Bong would enter the port "in all seriousness," after canceling a port call in June.
One of the reasons for thinking this is because the crew of the ship has been making preparations to enter Japanese ports since mid-July, including purchasing a high-speed lifeboat and equipping the ship with sprinklers to meet Japanese safety requirments.
The government plans to hold a meeting of officials from the Construction and Transport Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Japan Coast Guard and other organizations soon to go over the preparations needed for the entry of the Man Gyong Bong.
An official from Chongryon said, "We strongly hope that an abnormal fuss will not be repeated when the ship enters the port in Niigata."
But government sources said Japanese authorities would handle the entry in the same manner as during the previous planned visit in June.
The authorities will keep a 24-hour watch on the ship and inspect it for illegal goods, such as narcotics, using all available laws.
For the port state control (PSC) inspection, which was said to be the most effective in forcing the Man Gyong Bong to call off its June visit, the Construction and Transport Ministry plans to dispatch about 50 officials, including about 20 foreign ship inspectors, the largest number to date.
The PSC inspection will be implemented after the ship enters the port. If the inspectors deem the ship is not safe enough, the government can prohibit the ship from leaving port until it is brought up to specifications.
The 9th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Niigata, the Tokyo Customhouse and the Tokyo Immigration Bureau will temporarily increase the number of officials in charge of the North Korean ship to between 30 and 50 so that they can conduct joint inspections aboard the ship and check the identification of crew and passengers when the Man Gyong Bong enters the port.
In addition, the inspectors will check passenger cabins if the passengers agree, although compartments are usually not the subject of PSC inspections. When the ship leaves the port, JCG officials will conduct an inspection on board.
The six-way talks between Japan, the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and North Korea to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program are scheduled to last for three days from Aug. 27. Delegates will arrive in Beijing on Aug. 26.
Some government officials have voiced concern that North Korea decided to dock the Man Gyong Bong in Niigata at this time with the aim of accusing Japan of overzealous inspections at the meeting.
A Foreign Ministry official said, "Even if Japan calls on North Korea to hold bilateral talks to resolve the abduction issue, Pyongyang may use the ship inspections as an excuse to shut the door."
In fact, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Korea Workers' Party of North Korea, demanded that Japan end its "hostile policy toward North Korea" in its Sunday issue.
The article said Japan's toughened inspections of the Man Gyong Bong were a "provocation to our country, which is no different from a declaration of war, and is like a preparatory military operation."
But the government is determined to continue inspections of the Man Gyong Bong through three more planned port calls in September.
A senior government official said, "We will implement the inspections as a matter of course based on domestic laws. If Japan bows to North Korea's demands and relaxes the inspections, the situation would be bizarre."
Copyright 2003 The Yomiuri Shimbun
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