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Kurd asylum-seeker Erdal
Dogan's provisional release was renewed Friday by
immigration officials in Tokyo.
Tension was high as he entered the Tokyo Immigration
Bureau in Shinagawa Ward after two other Kurdish
asylum-seekers -- Ahmet Kazankiran and his son
Ramazan -- were detained and quickly deported back
to Turkey earlier this week.
Dogan and the Kazankirans staged a sit-in protest in
front of United Nations University in Tokyo's
Shibuya Ward during the summer over the government's
refusal to recognize them as refugees.
"I couldn't sleep last night," Dogan said after his
provisional release was renewed. " I was sure they
were going to detain me. I am so happy I have at
least one more month."
The Kazankirans were deported Tuesday despite being
recognized as "mandate refugees" by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The rest of
their family, also likewise designated, also face
deportation.
Dogan has no such status. Japan has been allowing
him to live here under a provisional release, which
is a temporary permit issued on humanitarian
grounds. It must be renewed every month.
"Before the deportation (of the Kazankirans), I was
concerned about the vulnerable state that I and my
family are in," Dogan said. "But I realize now that
it doesn't matter whether you are recognized as a
mandate refugee or not -- the Japanese government
will send you back anyway."
Dogan later appeared before a gathering of about 150
people at the offices of the members of the House of
Councilors. It was attended by the five remaining
members of the Kazankiran family, their supporters
and members of Amnesty International.
Also present were 16 Diet members, including
representatives from the Democratic Party of Japan,
the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese
Communist Party.
SDP head Mizuho Fukushima strongly criticized the
Foreign Ministry, saying that officials had
concluded there was no longer any problems for Kurds
in Turkey because a Kurd had been elected to the
Turkish government.
"Just because there is a female Diet member in
Japan, does that mean there is no sexual
discrimination here?" she asked.
Toru Matsuoka, a member of the DPJ, said the
deportation of the Kazankirans made him realize
Japan has no regard for human rights.
Prime Minister Junichiro "Koizumi often uses the
word 'humanity,' but I've realized that human rights
does not exist in the term of humanity that he
uses," Matsuoka said.
Fumio Azuma, a leader of supporters for the two Kurd
families, denounced the deportations.
"I think that what the Japanese government did to
this family, who just wanted to live in peace, is a
serious crime," Azuma said.
The Japan Times: (C) All rights reserved
http://www.japantimes.co.jp
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