Mega wishes Jenkins happiness, good health<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri wished Charles Robert Jenkins
\nand his family happiness before their departure for Japan on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
In a meeting with Megawati at her private residence in
\nKebagusan, South Jakarta, on Saturday, she expressed hope that
\nJenkins would receive better medical treatment in Japan.<\/p>\n
\"I hope you have a very good stay in Tokyo. I also like
\nJapanese and Korean food. I hope your health improves,\" Megawati
\ntold Jenkins.<\/p>\n
During the meeting Jenkins was accompanied by his wife Hitomi
\nSoga and their two daughters Mika and Belinda. \"Her name sounds
\nlike mine,\" Megawati said, referring to Jenkins' eldest daughter
\nMika.<\/p>\n
Indonesia was chosen to facilitate a reunion of the Jenkins
\nfamily, as Indonesia does not have an extradition treaty with the
\nU.S. Jenkins allegedly defected to North Korea in 1965, and there
\nare fears he may be extradited to the U.S. from Japan to face
\ncharges in the U.S. which considers him a deserter.<\/p>\n
Jenkins and his daughters continued to stay in Pyongyang after
\nSoga was repatriated to Japan in 2002. Soga was abducted in 1978
\nfrom the small island of Sado by North Korean soldiers and lived
\nin North Korea up until 2002.<\/p>\n
The family has stayed in Jakarta for a week, but due to
\nJenkins' deteriorating health, the Japanese government decided to
\ntake him to Tokyo for medical treatment.<\/p>\n
After a five-minute meeting on the verandah of Megawati's
\nhouse, the President and the Jenkins family went inside to have
\nmore private talks.<\/p>\n
\"In the meeting, Jenkins expressed his gratitude to the
\npresident and apologized for putting Indonesia in the middle of
\nthe problem that involved Japan, North Korea and the U.S.,\" one
\nof Megawati's aides told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Megawati replied that it was alright because Indonesia did
\nthis for humanitarian reasons.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda said
\nafter the meeting that Jenkins would risk being sent home from
\nJapan as Tokyo had an extradition treaty with Washington.<\/p>\n
\"There is such a risk, but I am sure that everybody wants to
\nsee the family happy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In Tokyo on Saturday, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker
\nsaid Washington may delay its request for Jenkins' transfer to
\nU.S. custody because of his poor health.<\/p>\n
\"There are no plans for U.S. officials to see Jenkins in the
\nimmediate future,\" Baker said in a statement as quoted by AFP,
\nwhile noting Washington \"has the right to take Sergeant Jenkins
\ninto custody and will do so at the appropriate time\".<\/p>\n
Washington has viewed Jenkins as a deserter after he
\ndisappeared near the border between North and South Korea while
\non patrol in 1965. Japan would have a treaty obligation to hand
\nhim over.<\/p>\n
Baker told senior officials of the Japanese ruling coalition
\nthat he believed Jenkins should turn himself in to the U.S.
\nauthorities and negotiate.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-wishes-jenkins-happiness-good-health-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}