COMITE INTERNATIONAL DE LA CROIX - ROUGE

Geneva, December 3, 1957

Sir,
The attention of the International Committee of the Red Cross has been drawn on several occasions to the situation of certain Korean internees in the Omura and Hamamatsu camps in Japan and Japanese internees in the Pusan camp in Korea. There have been various exchanges of correspondence on this subject in the past and the ICRC has had the opportunity to put forward its points of view and to make practical proposals to the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Japanese Government in its Memorandum of February 26, 1957.
During the XIXth International Red Cross Conference in New Delhi, the representatives of the ICRC had a opportunity of discussing this problem again with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Korea and Japan and the Red Cross Societies in those two countries. Following these talks and the discussions by the International Red Cross Conference concerning the situation of persons separated from their homes and their families, the ICRC considered that it should re-examine this problem and offer its good offices towards a solution. It should be emphasized that these persons had been derived of their freedom, not in consequence of a sentence by a court for some offence but while waiting for an agreement to be reached between the Governments concerned on a problem of a political nature. The ICRC cannot do otherwise than pay serious attention to this situation, which could have grievous consequences, both for the internees themselves and for their families who often find themselves deprived of their main support and for an indefinite period.
The XIXth International Red Cross Conference, having reexamined the situation of persons separated from their homes or their families as a result of war, internal conflicts or other events, in Resolution No.8 "urges all National Societies and Governments to intensify their efforts in these matters and, in particular, to facilitate by every means the reunion of persons, both adults and children, with their families in accordance with the wishes of such persons, and in the case of minor children in accordance with the wishes of the recognised head of the family no matter where domiciled."
After closely considering the present situation in the Pusan, Omura and Hamamatsu camps, the ICRC considered it is duty to propose to the Governments concerned a plan for release and repatriation quite independent of the political problems now being discussed between the two Governments. The plan would comprise the following three provisions, which would be carried out simultaneously:
1) The Japanese fishermen detained at Pusan would be released and repatriated.
2) The Koreans detained in the Omura and Hamamatsu camps who lived in Japan before August 15, 1945 would be released in Japanese territory.
3) The Goverment of the Republic of Korea would authorise the return to Korea of Korean nationals, interned in the Omura and Hamamatsu camps, who had emigrated illegally to Japan, and who wish to go back to their country.
Furthermore the ICRC would be responsible for supervising and coordinating the release and repatriation plan.
We hope that this proposal, which we have also forwarded to the Goverment of Japan, will meet with your approval and that an agreement can soon be reached enabling the release and return to their country of detainees who have been waiting for several years for the chance to be free again and to be repatriated.
With thanks in anticipation for your kind attention to our proposal and in hopes of an early and positive reply,

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

/s/

R. Gallopin

Executive Director