Re: The Cold War Deserter

Date: June 12, 2004

"Malaysia offers to host reunion of accused U.S. deserter in North Korea and his Japanese wife

JASBANT SINGH, Associated Press Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) --

Malaysia's foreign minister offered Friday to host a reunion between a U.S. soldier accused of deserting to North Korea 40 years ago and his wife, who is now living in Japan.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is leading a Japanese bid to reunite the family of Charles Robert Jenkins, who left his Army unit in South Korea one night in 1965 and crossed the border into North Korea, where he remains.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia had often hosted meetings between parties in sensitive international issues, including talks between North Korean officials and other countries, and would likely do so in this case if asked.

"There should be no problem, if there is a request we will consider it," Syed Hamid told The Associated Press. "It is not unusual for us to host meetings involving third countries. But at present we have not received any request."

To the U.S. government, he has been a fugitive ever since. Jenkins is reluctant to travel to any country where he could face extradition to the United States. Malaysia has no such deal.

Koizumi personally sought leniency from President Bush this week at a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Savannah, Ga., but Bush said Jenkins remained a wanted man.

Jenkins has become a sympathetic figure among Japanese because of his wife, Hitomi Soga, who now lives in Japan.

Soga was among at least one dozen Japanese who were kidnapped by North Korea and used to train spies in Japanese culture and language. Like other abductees, Soga married while in captivity in North Korea.

Soga and the four other abductees who were still alive when North Korean leader Kim Jong Il admitted to the kidnappings in 2002 were returned to Japan soon afterward.

But Soga left behind her two daughters and husband, who fears he would be sent to the United States for a court-martial if he goes to Japan.

Japan is trying to arrange for Jenkins, now 64, and his family to be reunited in a third country where he wouldn't risk being sent to the United States.

Last month, Koizumi spent nearly an hour in North Korea personally trying to persuade Jenkins to join his wife. The American refused to leave unless he was guaranteed immunity from extradition to the United States.

At a news conference, Syed Hamid said it was too early to say whether the couple might offered a permanent home in Malaysia.

"At present it is speculative, let us look into it when it comes," he said.

Syed Hamid did not directly address the issue of whether Jenkins might be allowed to live in Malaysia if he left North Korea

Japanese media have reported that other possible venues for a reunion could be the Indonesian resort island of Bali, somewhere in Vietnam or Cambodia, or China.

©2004 Associated Press "