Please
help Zilan's family!
Signature campaign for the release of Taskin
(he has been detained since Jan.28, 2004)
March 25, 2004
(Translation from Japanese)
Zilan, is a three years old girl living in Saitama prefecture. Her
mother,
Beltran is from the Philippines who work in Japan. Her father, Taskin,
is a
Kurdish born who lives in Turkey and in Japan for 12 years now. Zilan
is the
only Beltran-Taskin child who was born and raised in Japan and recognized
as a
Filipino (under Philippine law). All of them speak Japanese language
to
communicate with each other at home.
Taskin has been applying for refugee status from time to time since
he came to
Japan. He was applying for a refugee status in Japan after rejecting
the
compulsory military service in Turkey. It means that if he goes back
to Turkey
he may be exposed to the dangers of oppression from the Turkish authority.
From the beginning, Taskin's application was refused three times by
the
Immigration office and he has been trying for the fourth application
since last
year. His wife, Beltran, also tried to apply for refugee status with
her
daughter since July 2003 which was also refused on January 27, 2004.
January 28, 2004 the next day of the rejection of their application,
the
immigration officer called the family to come to the office. Upon arrival
at the
office they were told that all of them had to be deported. Moreover,
the office
ordered Beltran & Zilan to go back to the Philippines while Taskin
was ordered
to go back to Turkey. In effect, the whole family was decided by the
immigration
authority to split up immediately and was kept in detention separate
with each
other. Only Zilan was released at once, and after spending one night
in a
children's welfare center until her aunt who lives in Japan took her
out.
Every time Zilan is accompanied to see her mother in detention, she
asked her
mother to give her the key to open the glass wall which separates them.
Oftentimes she burst into tears and anyone cannot soothe her in such
case.
On March 22, 2004 or 51 days after the detention, Beltran was temporarily
released because her illness needing hospitalization while Taskin is
still kept
in detention. Taskin is also complaining on the pain on his back. He
once tried
hunger strike in despair but stopped it after his wife persuaded him.
The Taskin-Beltran case shows how over-staying foreigners are treated
by
Japanese government. Even for asylum seekers, the door is always closed.
The
immigration office fails to respect any human rights due to them. Even
children's rights to live with parents were not observed. This case
is against
the article 9 of the Convention on Child's Rights that urges government
to
ensure children's rights not to be separated from their parents. Ironically
the
Japanese government is a signatory to the said international convention.
Taskin was born in Kurdish community located in the South eastern area
of
Turkish territory in 1975, and was raised as a Muslim.
Kurdish people, often called as the biggest ethnic group in the world
without
nation, have their origin in nomad lived in upper Tigris-Euphrates basin
since
B.C. After the First World War, the Kurdish people's land, or Kurdistan,
was
separated into 5 areas governed by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia,
under
the policy of separation rule of the Middle East by Great powers of
the Europe.
In Turkey, Kurdish people have been oppressed for long period of time
like
prohibition to use their own language and culture. As a result there
were
internal conflicts between the armed Kurdish group and the Turkish army
that
started in the mid 1980's. In the 90's, the Turkish army bombed over
3000
Kurdish communities making over 30,000 people as refugees in and out
of Turkey.
Taskin and his family were evacuated from their community at that time.
Taskin
was 17 years old. In Turkey, boys have to go to military service when
they
become 18 years old. Once he becomes a soldier, he too may oppress the
Kurdish
people and for this reason Taskin decided to run into Japan in 1991.
Beltran was raised in the community strictly professing Christianity
and she is
deeply afraid that her family and community will never accept her anymore
for
being married with a Muslim.
So the family considers that Japan is the only place where they can
safely live
together.
If you agree with us, we would like to ask you to sign our signature-campaign
for the withdrawal of the deportation order and request for the Taskin-Beltran
family's safety in Japan. (Please see the other sheet for signature)
Contact address:
Support Committee for Zilan's family
c /o CJFF(Center for Japanese Filipino Family)
#32 Japan Christian Center 2-3-18 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
tel./fax. 03-3209-2439 E-mail: cjff@zah.att.ne.jp
A petition for Zilan and her family
Mr. NOZAWA, Taizo, the Ministry of Justice
The Chief examiner of Immigration office of Tokyo
We are requesting your honor to give humanitarian consideration to
Taskin, a Kurdish with Turkish nationality, who is detained in the Immigration
office of Tokyo as well as for his wife and child. We are appealing
to take the following measures:
1. Please withdraw the deportation order by which the family would
be separated and exposed to the danger of life.
2. Please give the family the special permission for residence that
allows them to live in safety together.