Rohingya Activist In Japan Testified At Human Rights Hearing

RB News 

April 27, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- A Human Rights hearing was held at the Japanese parliament building on 25th April 2016, organized by the Japan Bar Association in Tokyo. Parliamentarians and policy makers from the various political parties such as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Koimeto Party, as well as opposition Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party and the Japan Communist Party were attended the hearing. The Lawyers, NGOs, Civil Society organizations and members of various media organizations also participated.

The main topics of the hearing were labour rights and Refugee rights. Lawyers from the Bar Association spoke about the violations of foreign labour rights in Japan. Also, some labourers from China had testified about their experiences at the Japanese firms.

The most famous Refugee Lawyer in Japan, Mr. Shogo Watanabe, explained about the difficulties of asylum seekers in Japan and how Japanese Asylum Law is tough for the Refugees.

Mr. Zaw Min Htut, who is the first recognized Rohingya refugee in Japan, testified about his own experience and how his fellow Rohingyas are still struggling to be recognized as refugees in Japan.

There are still some Rohingyas without legal status in Japan. Some have been in Japan for more than 10 years without legal status. Giving that example, Zaw Min Htut appeals to the policy makers of Japan to consider Rohingyas legal status by radically changing the current refugee policy. He also appealed to give more humanitarian assistance by the Japanese government to the Rohingyas in IDP Camps in Arakan State of Myanmar as well as to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In his conclusion remarks, Zaw Min Htut proposed to bring more Rohingya refugees to Japan as third country resettlement from refugee camps in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India.