VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #2844 1431009
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 231009Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2404
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2416
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1639
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8594
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0883
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2855
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0398

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2031 
TAGS: PHUM AS NZ JA
SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON UN DECLARATION ON 
THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 
 
REF: STATE 078740 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve.  Reason 
s:1.4(b/d). 
 
¶1.  (U)  On May 23, Embassy Tokyo political officer joined 
Embassy of New Zealand Deputy Head of Mission Michelle Slade 
and Embassy of Australia First Secretary Catherine Wallace in 
delivering a joint demarche to MOFA Global Issues Department 
Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Division Director 
Tetsuya Kimura concerning the draft Declaration on the Rights 
of Indigenous Peoples.  Led, as instructed, by New Zealand's 
Slade, the tripartite delegation conveyed reftel talking 
points and provided Kimura with copies of relevant documents. 
 
 
¶2.  (U)  Kimura undertook to study the issue and to relay 
U.S., Australian and New Zealand concerns to appropriate MOFA 
and other agency officials.  He promised shortly to provide a 
Japanese government response.  Kimura offered his opinion 
that the subject text should be adopted on a consensus basis 
and that the concerned governments should proceed cautiously. 
 
 
¶3.  (C)  Taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss the 
Human Rights Council, Kimura stated that while Japan wanted 
to begin substantive discussions as soon as possible, the 
Japanese government also believed there should be a concrete 
discussion on the Council's working methods in order to 
establish a "road map" for the organization's deliberations. 
Japan is particularly interested in beginning discussions of 
serious violations of human rights, especially North Korean 
violations, at an early date.  In that context, Kimura noted 
that Japan would also use other fora, such as the Third 
Committee in New York, for discussing North Korean and other 
serious human rights violations. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Kimura highlighted the need to discuss in the Human 
Rights Council the issue of extending the mandates of Special 
Rapporteurs.  He stressed that "continuity" was an important 
consideration for Japan. 
SCHIEFFER