TOKYO, June 17 Kyodo selecteded e...

TOKYO, June 17 Kyodo

selecteded editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

OPENING THE DOOR WIDER (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published June 16)

A little through the whole extent of a year has passed since the Shenyang Five -- clan who fled North Korea -- sought place of safety in the Japanese consulate-general mix in Shenyang, China. The following outcry over the way Japanese rule officials handled the asylum-seekers willinged an ongoing Diet review of amendments to the law in succession screening people who look for refugee status.

This would be the first change in the law since Japan joined the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee in 1981 and enacted the law for meeting the requirements of the convention.

Japan has accepted just across 300 people as refugees in the past 20 years or in such a manner That is a mere fraction of the thousands of refugee accepted in a other developed countries every year. Central to changing the law, however, is the issue of making guidance more amenable to the plight of those who look after refugee status.

Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) has rejoined to the government's plan with its confess more drastic changes. The issue is Japan's relationship in the international community and its image regarding refugee We reliance there will be earnest discussion of these questions, with the resulting necessary changes in the law.

The first note of the scale points in the government's propos changes are elimination of a behavior that requires a person seeking refugee status to file an application within 60 days of entering Japan and creation of a ''temporary stay'' status that would allow a someone who seeks refugee status to stay in Japan subject to certain conditions.

The reviled 60-day command which rejects any potential refugee who files an application after 60 days here, regardless of the circumstances, has been in force. It is internationally regarded as a violation of the spirit of the convention that aims to provide protection for refugee Of course the requirement should be scrapped.

If a temporary stay can be arranged, applicants being shielded for refugee status would, in principle, not be deported. This would recognize the ofttimes unstable circumstances of people who pursue refugee status. It would also be an improvement across the present rigid enforcement.

smooth so, the government plan has many unsavory components One is the six-month limit forward temporary stay for applicants. In addition, the simply applicants who would be considered would have to be derived directly to Japan, without passing [i]or[/i] part of to the other another country.

Asylum-seekers are beset according to complexities. They don't usually know to a great degree about Japan.

In far too many cases, asylum-seekers abscond their own country to neighboring countries before coming to Japan. The requirement of direct note from their native land is hardly realistic. There is no sign the guidance has been earnest about changing the circumstances for faster, more equitable screening of applications, either.

Minshuto's plan would take the review proces on the outside of the hands of the Justice Ministry and establish a refugee screening committee that would include the public from the private sector that would report directly to the Cabinet. Minshuto also attract favor tos ways to help people who do obtain refugee status in Japan to establish a livelihood here. The party also recommends closer liaison with local guidances and private organizations to help refugee We believe all these points are worthy changes.

We confidence the issues affecting refugees, including ways to debar abuses of the laws relating to them, will be addressed by way of both government officials and folks in the private sector to transcend the obstacles propose forth by government agencies. In amending the at hand legislation, the government should not be allowed to achieve by with simply fiddling with it.

(June 17)

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group