PARENTS OF MEGUMI YOKOTA STAGE DEMONSTRATION WITH SUPPORTERS IN TOKYO, 2000-03-07 (photo)

Shigeru Yokota (3rd R) and his wife Sakie (2nd R), parents of Megumi Yokota, believed to have been abducted by North Korean agents some 20 years ago, stage a demonstration with supporters in front of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo. They are protesting against the government's plan to resume food aid to North Korea and begin full-scale talks on normalising diplomatic ties. Japan's top government spokesman said on Tuesday that Japan will begin the talks with North Korea early next month, and extend 100,000 tonnes of rice in food aid through the U.N. World Food Programme.    ES/DL