Japan-Burma Refugees

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=3/9/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-39199
TITLE=JAPAN-BURMA REFUGEES
BYLINE=THOMAS CALDWELL
DATELINE=TOKYO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

LEAD: THE RECENT OUTCRY BY BURMESE IN JAPAN ABOUT THE JAPANESE 
GOVERNMENT'S PLANS TO RESUME AID TO BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT, 
HAS DRAWN ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT OF  JAPAN'S THOUSANDS OF 
BURMESE RESIDENTS.  THOMAS CALDWELL REPORTS FROM TOKYO, MANY ARE 
FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

TEXT: //FADE IN SOUND//

BURMESE RESTAURANTS CAN BE FOUND NEAR MOST OF TOKYO'S MAJOR TRAIN
STATIONS. AT NIGHT, THEY FILL UP WITH BURMESE NATIONALS WHO MAKE 
THEIR HOME IN THE JAPANESE CAPITAL.

MANY OF THESE RESTAURANTS DOUBLE AS COMMUNITY CENTERS.  A VISITOR
CAN FIND ASSORTED PAMPHLETS AND BROCHURES PUBLISHED BY SEVERAL 
PRO-DEMOCRACY ORGANIZATIONS SET OUT ON A TABLE IN A CORNER.  MOST
ARE FREE FOR THE TAKING.  A PICTURE OF NOBEL LAUREATE AUNG SAN 
SUU KYI CAN USUALLY BE FOUND HANGING ON A WALL. 

BURMESE RESIDENTS IN JAPAN COME TO THESE MOSTLY FAMILY-RUN 
ESTABLISHMENTS NOT ONLY TO EAT, BUT TO SHARE INFORMATION AND 
DISCUSS NEWS FROM BACK HOME.  MANY CONSIDER THEMSELVES EXILES AND
REFUGEES, BUT THE NATION THE ARE CURRENTLY CALLING HOME DOES NOT.

        //FADE OUT SOUND//

MANY OF THE BURMESE NATIONALS ENDED UP IN JAPAN AFTER FLEEING THE
MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY.  FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF
THEM, LIFE HERE HAS BECOME A FORM OF LIMBO.  WHILE THEY NOTE THAT
THE LIVING CONDITIONS IN JAPAN ARE FAR BETTER THAN AT THE  
REFUGEE CAMPS ALONG THE THAI-BURMESE BORDER, THEY SAY THE 
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE THOUSANDS OF BURMESE 
HERE EFFECTIVELY PREVENTS THEM  FROM GETTING ON WITH THEIR LIVES.

A BURMESE WHO CALLS HIMSELF MAUNG NYAN WORKS AS A COOK IN A TOKYO
RESTAURANT.  HE DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE HIS REAL NAME.  HE LIVES IN
JAPAN ILLEGALLY AND STILL HAS FAMILY BACK IN BURMA.  HE SAYS HE 
BELIEVES HE WOULD BE PUNISHED FOR HIS SPEAKING OUT. 

MAUNG NYAN'S VISA AND PASSPORT EXPIRED LONG AGO. HE CANNOT 
TRAVEL, AND THE LACK OF FORMAL PERMISSION TO STAY IN JAPAN MAKES 
IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION AT A LOCAL 
UNIVERSITY OR GET A BETTER JOB.

//A FEW SECONDS OF BURMESE ACT, FADE OUT WITH TEXT//

MAUNG NYAN SAYS HE HAS GROWN TO DISLIKE THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN.  HE 
COMPLAINS THAT EVER SINCE HE ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY HE HAS DONE 
WHATEVER WORK WAS REQUIRED OF HIM, BUT IS STILL TREATED WITH 
CONTEMPT.

ACCURATE STATISTICS ON BURMESE LIVING IN JAPAN ARE NOT AVAILABLE,
MOSTLY BECAUSE SO MANY ARE LIVING HERE ILLEGALLY. MOST INFORMED 
ESTIMATES PUT THE NUMBER AT BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 THOUSAND.  FOR 
THE MOST PART THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED AS REFUGEES FLEEING A 
DICTATORIAL REGIME. THEY ARE NOT DEPORTED EN MASSE EITHER, BUT 
ARE PRETTY MUCH IGNORED, SO LONG AS THEY DON'T GET INTO TROUBLE 
WITH THE LAW. THEY CAN BE FOUND IN ALL SORTS OF OCCUPATIONS; FROM
WASHING DISHES TO SELLING COMPUTERS, AND ARE USUALLY PAID NOMINAL
WAGES.

BURMESE LIVING HERE SAY THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A PERCENTAGE OF 
THEIR SALARY TO THEIR EMBASSY, SOMETHING MANY REFUSE TO DO. IF 
THEY DO NOT PAY, THEIR PASSPORTS ARE NOT RENEWED. IF NOT GRANTED 
REFUGEE STATUS BY THE TIME THEIR PASSPORTS EXPIRE, TRAVEL 
DOCUMENTS BECOME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN.

PHONE MYIN TUN SAYS HE WAS A FORMER BODYGUARD OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI
AND WAS PART OF THE STUDENT MOVEMENT IN 1988, FOR WHICH HE SERVED
FIVE YEARS IN PRISON. HE NOW WORKS FOR A PRODUCE WHOLESALER IN 
TOKYO, BUT IS STILL QUITE ACTIVE IN THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.

PHONE MYIN TUN SAYS HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY JAPANESE 
THINK THE BURMESE LIVING IN THEIR MIDST WOULD REMAIN HERE IF THEY
HAD A CHOICE.

  //A FEW SECONDS OF BURMESE ACT, FADE OUT WITH TEXT//

"IF THE JAPANESE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT, THEY ARE WRONG," HE SAYS, 
"I WOULD GO BACK HOME RIGHT AWAY IF AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAID IT WAS 
SAFE. THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HERE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT US. THEY 
DO NOT GIVE ANY STATUS TO THE REFUGEES, NOR DO THEY CARE ABOUT 
THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT."

RARELY DOES THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT FORMALLY RECOGNIZE SOMEONE AS
A REFUGEE.  ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, IN 1997 A TOTAL
OF 242 PEOPLE APPLIED FOR REFUGEE STATUS. OUT OF THAT NUMBER,  
ONLY ONE PERSON WAS DEEMED A REFUGEE. IN 1996 ITS WAS A SIMILAR 
STORY; ONLY ONE PERSON WAS GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS OUT OF 147 
APPLICATIONS. BURMESE REFUGEES SAY IT IS IRONIC THE NUMBERS ARE 
SO LOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER 
FOR REFUGEES IS FROM JAPAN.

WHEN ASKED WHY SO FEW PEOPLE ARE BEING GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS, 
THE JUSTICE MINISTRY SAYS THE GOVERNMENT ADHERES TO ALL 
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS PERTAINING TO REFUGEES AND EXAMINES ALL 
REQUESTS FOR REFUGEE STATUS WITH SINCERETY. AS A MATTER OF 
POLICY, THE MINISTRY DOES NOT COMMENT ON REFUGEE STATISTICS BY 
COUNTRY.

MANY OF THE BURMESE IN JAPAN WERE STILL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS A 
DECADE AGO. AMONG THEM ARE PEOPLE WHO HAD AMBITIOUS PLANS BUT NOW
FIND THEMSELVES DOING THE WORK MOST JAPANESE CONSIDER BENEATH 
THEM.  WITHOUT FORMAL REFUGEE STATUS, OR A CHANGE IN THE 
POLITICAL SITUATION IN BURMA THAT ALLOWS THEM TO RETURN, MOST 
WILL REMAIN IN HERE, IN LIMBO, INDEFINITELY. (SIGNED) 

NEB/TC/GC/FC

09-Mar-98 4:53 AM EST (0953 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
 .