Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Japan

Letter dated 1 August 1989 from the Permanent Representative of

Japan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit herewith the text of a statement issued on 1 August 1989 by a spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on the hostage-taking in Lebanon (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have this text circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 37 and 141 of the provisional agenda, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Hideo KAGAMI

Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary

Permanent Representative of Japan

to the United Nations

_________

*A/44/150.

ANNEX

Statement issued on 1 August 1989 by a spokesman of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

1. Japan strongly condemns the utterly shameful and inhumane act of the announced execution of Lt. Col. William R. Higgins of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, who was abducted in southern Lebanon on 17 February 1988 by a Lebanese organization calling itself the "Organization of the Oppressed on Earth".

2. Japan is firmly opposed to hostage-taking of any kind.  Japan thus strongly denounces acts of hostage-taking and kidnapping for any reason whatsoever, including the hostage-taking by the Lebanese groups and the abduction by Israel of the Shiite leader, Sheik Abdul Karim Obeid, and calls for the immediate release of those who have been abducted.

3. Japan, on this occasion, reiterates its firm opposition to any act of international terrorism, while reaffirming its position that has been expressed in those statements with which Japan has joined so far concerning international terrorism.  Japan will continue to strive, in co-operation with other countries, for the prevention of terrorism, which of course is a problem that the entire international community must deal with.

—–