Japan's readiness to be tested as Myanmar refugees arrive
Sunday 26th September

TOKYO — Japan will become the first Asian country to accept the third-country resettlement of Myanmar refugees from Thailand in a move that is expected to help Japan fend off criticism that its refugee policy is too restrictive.

But how well the refugees, who have lived over 10 years in Mera refugee camp in Thailand, will be able to integrate into Japanese society will be the litmus test of the new initiative.

‘‘The resettlement program is a touchstone in our refugee policy,’’ said Chinami Nishimura, a former parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs. ‘‘Our decision to accept the refugees has been widely praised by the international community and by the people of Japan. We are certain that our country’s endeavor will be a model case for other Asian countries.’‘

Japan decided in December 2008 to accept 90 Myanmar refugees from Mera camp over three years under the resettlement pilot project.

The first group of 27 ethnic Karen people belonging to five families, selected by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ministry of Justice based on criteria such as possessing no criminal records, being in good health and having a family, have completed their pre-arrival orientation program in the camp and are due to arrive on Tuesday.

Once in Japan, they will receive six months of government-funded training to learn basic Japanese as well as the customs and mores of society.

After the training period, they will have to find for themselves places to settle as well as employment and education opportunities.

‘‘The Japanese government and society must help the refugees cope with various cultural shocks, otherwise they will not have much of a presence in Japanese society,’’ said Shogo Watanabe, a lawyer at the Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees.

‘‘The question is whether Japanese society is open and prepared enough to accept the refugees as their neighbors,’’ he added.

Japan faces the task of not repeating the same mistakes made when it accepted 11,000 Indo-Chinese refugees and displaced persons between 1978 and 2006 under a temporary special program.

A report compiled by Saburo Takizawa, the former representative of UNHCR Japan, and his team of scholars on the current status of Indo-Chinese refugees revealed that most faced discrimination and failed to find work other than the low-waged ‘‘three D (dangerous, dirty, difficult/demeaning) jobs,’’ partly due to insufficient Japanese-language training.

‘‘I thought if the Myanmar refugees in Thailand read this report, they would decide not to come to Japan. The conclusions were that bad,’’ Takizawa said.

‘‘In the case of Indo-Chinese refugees, the government took responsibility for only the first three months after their arrival. This time, the NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and the municipalities must work together with the government to help the Myanmar refugees settle in,’’ he said.

‘‘We tend to think that the problem of refugees is up to the government to solve. We must change that mindset and take the refugees problem as one that concerns us. I don’t think accepting the refugees is a burden, it can be a positive asset to Japanese society.’‘

Some organizations are already showing willingness to offer help to the arriving refugees. One of them is the office of Shinjuku Ward, home to about 35,676 registered foreigners, of whom 1,242 are from Myanmar. The ward is likely to be one of the preferred sites for arriving Myanmar refugees to settle in.

‘‘I recommend Shinjuku since there is a Myanmar community here. It is comfortable to have somebody from your country nearby,’’ said Ma Hay Mar, the president of the Japan Myanmar Culture Center, a nonprofit organization which helps local people from Myanmar with problems ranging from school dropouts, employment trouble and legal matters in the ward’s Takadanobaba district.

Still, Ma Hay Mar has witnessed many problems experienced by people from Myanmar living in Shinjuku. She says it has become harder for them to find work amid the economic slowdown while also stressing family problems are widespread.

‘‘I have seen much miscommunication and lack of communication between children and their parents’’ in Myanmar families, said Ma Hay Mar. ‘‘When children learn Japanese faster than their parents, they start to look down on them. Also, there are many children here who feel lonely as their parents are working all day from one part-time job to another.’‘

Another group which is considering offering assistance to the refugees is located in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The group, headed by Takizawa, thinks that the refugees may wish to settle in Matsumoto as the city can offer jobs in farming—the occupation of the refugees back in Myanmar.

‘‘I have no objections if the refugees choose to settle in Shinjuku but I would like to offer another option to them,’’ Takizawa said. ‘‘In Shinjuku, they would need enormous time and effort to adapt to urban life. In Matsumoto, they can make a living by farming in a rural atmosphere—a lifestyle similar to what they had previously.’‘

Myo Myint Swe, a member of the Matsumoto-based group who actually met the Japan-bound Myanmar refugees during his visit to the Mera camp in August, said, ‘‘The three families who I have met all said they want to make a living by farming. They said their main concern is the education of their children and to live in peace.’‘

‘‘Of course they may change their views once they arrive in Japan. Nevertheless I think it is important to offer options other than settling in Shinjuku.’’

japantoday.com