VZCZCXRO1904
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3575 2180656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060656Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6156
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2411
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4838
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1453
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 3181
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 6011
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8211
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1798
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4275
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5294
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 003575
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - DARFUR VIOLENCE
LEAD STORIES: Most Monday morning papers gave top play
to PM Abe's meeting in Hiroshima on Sunday, the eve of
the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city,
with representatives of seven groups of atomic bomb
survivors, during which he pledged to review the GOJ's
criteria for recognizing whether those survivors suffer
from radiation diseases and are thus eligible for
special medical allowances. Abe reportedly apologized
for former Defense Minister Kyuma's remarks terming the
atomic bombings "unavoidable."
"Resolve of the International Community Tested" The
conservative Sankei editorialized (8/6): "The United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a
resolution to send a UN-African Union hybrid force
known as UNAMID on a peacekeeping mission to Darfur,
western Sudan. The violence in Darfur, which erupted
into fighting between the Sudanese government and pro-
government militias and anti-government forces in 2003,
has claimed the lives of over 200,000 people and
displaced more than 2 million others. It has been
called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world at
present. Although the UNSC adopted a resolution in
August 2006 for a peacekeeping mission in Darfur, the
Sudanese government rejected the mission, claiming that
it would violate its sovereignty and only lead to an
increase in the number of victims. We welcome the
Sudanese government's acceptance, late though it is, of
the peacekeeping mission through the good offices of UN
Secretary General Ban and other officials as the first
SIPDIS
step toward ending the violence.... The peacekeeping
mission in Darfur cannot be allowed to fail, as the
credibility of the entire UN is on the line."
SCHIEFFER