migrants in japan on hr day

Migrant workers in Tokyo and Nagoya (Japan)

commemorate International Human Rights Day

December 10, 2008

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Photos courtesy of MIGRANTE - Japan

MIGRANTE - Tokyo marks International Human Rights Day

On the 60th Year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! Continue the Fight, Advance Peoples’ Struggle for Human Rights, Justice, Freedom and Democracy! As the people of the world commemorate the 60th year of International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2008, the greater majority of the world’s population still resides today in the shadows of fear and uncertainties. Tyranny, oppression, and modern day colonialism and slavery are repeatedly imposed by people in authority and foreign powers upon billions of poor peoples around the world. These have resulted in massive and dreadful violations of peoples’ rights around the globe. War on Terror: Its Cost and Consequences At the frontline of United States’ war against terrorism are body counts of dead people, mostly innocent civilians in countries identified by the US government as part of the “Axis of Evil”. In Iraq alone, almost 100,000 civilians were murdered, right at their homes by military air strikes and bombings. Various forms of torture, summary execution, illegal detention and rendition were prevalent after the United States launched its unilateral military campaign against its “enemies”. People, by the profile of their face or by their race, were subjected to interrogation even without the benefit of due process. In the guise of the campaign against terrorism, the United States and other superpower willfully violated sovereign rights of other nations by establishing its military bases at the expense of the host countries. Up until now, the people have not been safer with the United States way of curtailing terrorism. Attack on Economic and Political Rights Around the World The financial crisis, which spreads from the United States to other capitalist countries, had locked billions of people around the world in deep misery and severe poverty. Loss of jobs, cuts in the budget for health, pension funds and other social services, high cost of basic goods and homelessness were experienced by people both in poor and rich countries. Joblessness had reached its immeasurable scale after series of company closures and lockdowns due to crisis that sprouts from the US crisis. At these times, our basic right to live was being undermined for the sake of survival of a crisis we never made. While capitalist countries are experiencing its most severe crisis ever, cases of political repression around the world are increasing. Migrant leaders, who fought for the rights of migrants, were harassed and detained. One of the recent cases of political repression was the case of Ramesh Tufan, International Coordinating Body (ICB) member of the International Migrant Alliance and chief of the department of foreign affairs of the Nepal Labour Organization. Tufan was arbitrarily arrested by the Malaysian government on his way back to Nepal after attending the International Assembly for Migrants and Refugees (IAMR) in Manila, Philippines. Other known migrant rights defenders, Dr. Irene Fernandez, Gil Lebria and Victor Toro, were also facing persecution in the US and Kuwait. Reflections from the Philippines Such the case of political persecution around the world, the Filipino people are continuously subjected to various forms of human rights violations, which includes arbitrary arrests, torture, illegal detention, abduction and summary execution. In almost eight (8) years of the Arroyo administration, almost a thousand political activists had been summarily executed by elements of the state. Forced disappearance remains prevalent as more than a hundred are still missing up to this time. The government has been filing trump up rebellion charges against high profile members and leaders of militant mass organizations as aform of harassment and intimidation against the national democratic movement in the Philippines. An Appeal The Universal Declaration of human rights clearly stipulated in its preamble that: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. From this quote alone, the people around the world are called upon to demand for justice for all victims of human rights violation. The Filipino people is also calling for governments in foreign countries that continuously support the Arroyo administration to cease from giving military and monetary aids that can be only used to kill and maim its people. Thus, we say: UNITE TO AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS! END POLITICAL KILLINGS AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES! NO TO FASCIST RULE! OUST GMA! FIGHT FOR GENUINE FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND PEACE! Filipino Migrant Center Philippine Society in Japan MIGRANTE Nagoya Kalipunan ng mga Filipinong Nagkakaisa League of Filipino Seniors Filipina Circle for Advancement and Progress










MIGRANTE - Nagoya marks International Human Rights Day


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			MIGRANT RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS! MIGRANTE Nagoya commemorates International Human Rights Day amid fears of intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants, and massive layoffs due to the worsening global financial crisis that whips hard on the home turf of capitalism. As history would reveal, it is in times of grave economic hardships that the rights and interests of migrants around the world, especially the undocumented, are heavily violated. Already, the current policy of the Japanese government that criminalizes migrants from poorer countries like the Philippines is taking its toll on the Filipino community in Japan. Lowly paid and without equal benefits and always at the mercy of employment brokers, migrant Filipinos are among those in the lowest receiving end of the economic ladder, always performing 3-D jobs (dirty, difficult and dangerous) and without job security and recognition. Thus, then current global crisis puts them in harsher and more disadvantaged sitation. Women migrants get the hardest blow. They comprise more than half of the estimated 240,000 Filipinos in Japan yet they are the least recognized and often target of discrimination. At the workplace, they are discriminated against as women and as migrants coming from a poorer country. At home, they are subject to various forms of abuse as Japan’s highly patriarchal society tends to regard them as inferior. Meanwhile, the continuing economic crisis in the Philippines makes every Filipino even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation in their desire to escape poverty and helplessness through migration. Faced with all these, the Philippine government has done miniscule effort to alleviate the plight of migrant Filipinos in Japan. Instead of protecting migrants, the policy of forced migration is being implemented by the Arroyo regime as a way to further exploit the Filipino people by luring them with job opportunities abroad even at the risk of their own lives. MIGRANTE Nagoya believes that migrant rights are human rights that should be promoted and protected all the time. As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, MIGRANTE Nagoya demands that migrants around the world be treated fairly and justly; and that their interest as human beings promoted and safeguarded all the time. MIGRANTE Nagoya also condemns the Arroyo government’s lack of respect for human rights in the Philippines. Its repressive policies against known critics of its administration must end. In particular, we condemn the persistent harassment and intimidation of members and leaders of progressive people’s organizations in Southern Tagalog and the sudden increase once again in the number of extra judicial killings, torture and forced disappearance in the country. We raise our voice to call an end to all these and demand justice for all victims and their families. We also call on our peace-loving brothers and sisters in Japan to offer their hands in solidarity with the Filipino people and the rest of the oppressed and exploited peoples of the world. Let us together resist all forms of oppression and exploitation, resist racism and discrimination, and fight for justice, freedom, democracy, genuine and lasting peace. Defend the rights of all human beings! Resist all forms of oppression and exploitation! The people, united will never be defeated! MIGRANTE Nagoya December 6, 2008

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