STATEMENT

There are many Kurdish refugees seeking asylum in Japan. The Japanese Government is
reluctant or, more frankly, has refused to give them the status of refugee.
Mr. Kazankiran and his son, Ramazan were two such refugees. They sought
help from the Japanese Government and support from the UN; they got none.
January 17 2005, they were arrested to be deportated. Mr. Ohashi, a lawyer,
has taken a quick step applying for suspension of deportation.
But it was too late. They have the UN mandate!!
Among advanced countries concluding the Refugee Convention, Japan alone
has now dared deportation of the refugees with UN mandate. Such outrageous
inhuman conduct has been done by this so-called democratic country. It
was a completely unexpected surprise on the part of both refugees, a
dirty and atrocious trick on the part of the Japanese authority, and
an entire laziness and bureaucratic blunder attitude on the part of the UN.
Note that they have a family! Other family members, Mr. Kazankiran’s
wife, three daughters (just think, they are still teenagers) were left
behind without a husband and father. The Japanese authority has
broken up the family for the sake (what kind of sake?) of Turkey.
This is against the spirit of the Constitution of Japan and the
Charter of the United Nations. This is totally inhumane.
Today, January 18, they were taken to the airport and forcibly
returned to Turkey where hardship is surely a waiting them. Why is
the Japanese Government so rash to take such an action? What’s
behind this? Not to accelerate Turkey’s admission in EU. We strongly
protest to the Japanese authority for such inhuman action and UN for
its lack of positive attitude to protect refugees. We once saw a UN
poster, saying “Look into their eyes. They are refugees.” or something like that.
They have arrived at the Istanbul Airport at 19:55, January 19, local
time. They are already under police interrogation. We, Japanese,
feel ashamed of the conduct of the immigration authority and the
Japanese Government, and refuse to accept whatever excuse they make.
They cold-heartedly handed over the oppressed seeking help and asylum
to the oppressor. We ask all the people in the world who always
consider the human rights as something valuable, irreplaceable, and
indispensable to take actions, to attempt interview with the Turkish
police authority, whatever measures available. We will proceed with
our protest activities within Japan.
This must not be the ominous precedent of violation of human rights,
particularly, those of refugees.

　　　 The supportors meeting of 2 kurdish-refugee families
delegate　　Fumio Azuma
http://homepage3.nifty.com/kds/