I had a chance to appreciate “Alive IV”, a photo exhibition of Cambodian artist Kim Hak born in 1981. Alive IV is the fourth iteration of his “Alive” series which is a project documenting refugees who lived through the era of the Khmer Rouge regime (1975 to 1979), when approximately 1.7 million Cambodian citizens, or 20% of the nation, were slaughtered. As time passes, the awareness gap between the generation that directly suffered from tyrannical violence and the younger generation has considerably widened. Mr. Kim Hak intends to bridge the gap between generations through "personal belongings" as old memory tracers of the survivors, such as a passport issued during the Lon Nol era, a pair of earrings in remembrance of the mother, a re-entry permit, a Buddha pendant, a music cassette of songs from homeland. Each and every item quietly tells us a story of someone very special.

Last month, the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act was enacted. Needless to say, it does not mean that human rights issues and problems have been resolved with the enforcement of the act. We still clearly remember the death of a Sri Lankan woman who was detained in an immigration facility. Incidentally, the UN Human Rights Council repeatedly urges Japan to improve its immigration system. On the other hand, some people claim that the rules of forcible repatriation are not properly operated and that foreign nationals who fail to comply with laws and regulations deserve to be sent back to their home country. However, it is reported that more than 90% of foreign nationals who receive deportation orders follow them while only a few percent of foreigners violate punitive laws when such kind of violations as overstaying their visas and the like are excluded. Many of those who refuse a deportation order have inevitable reasons that need to be taken into consideration such as family separation or risk of persecution after returning home.

In 2022, 202 people out of 3,772 applicants were recognized as refugees in Japan, an increase of 128 in number over the previous year. Accordingly, the rate of recognition also increased from 3% to 5%. However, a large number of refugee status were granted to the employees and their family members of the Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan. In fact, a "rare” background story must have worked favorably. And still, the recognition rate is extremely low when compared with those of the industrialized countries. Based on the data released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of refugees worldwide has reached 108.4 million. Year after year, an endless number of people are compelled to flee their homelands as a result of war, conflicts, religious persecution, and thought control. The first action Japan can take against the refugee crisis is to align the level of refugee recognition rate with international standards. Then, it is essential to work on establishing an appropriate system qualified for a nation governed by the rule of law and democracy, including the intervention of judicial judgment with regard to detention and repatriation.

On July 5, it was announced that Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, who has taken a key role in the resurgence of Cambodia after the catastrophe of the Khmer Rouge and has been in power since 1985, would bar members of a major American IT company, Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.), from entering or remaining in Cambodia. The political action was imposed apparently in retaliation for the recent Oversight Board’s recommendation that the Cambodian prime minister’s Facebook account should be suspended over “breaches of the company policy on violence and incitement” as he posted a message in which he threatened to "send gangsters" to the political opposition leaders who disclosed injustice of the ruling party. It seems that it is still a long way to go before the Cambodian diaspora can safely return to their homeland.

Mr. Kim Hak's photo exhibition is being held at YOKOHAMA COAST ROOM3 until July 9. It certainly is a good opportunity to think over the meaning of mutualism, diversity, nationality, and refugees with imagination what if these matters are related to your life.

This Week’s Focus, July 7

Takashi Mizukoshi, the President