John Gomez  -  Special Contribution

Modern Tokyo Times

On Monday April 9, 2012, a seminar on the issue of child abduction to and within Japan will be held in Tokyo. This event has been supported by the Harvard Club of Japan.  Filmmaker David Hearn and I are co-hosts of this event

The issue of child abduction in Japan has become one of the most important domestic social topics in Japan today, and its priority in foreign affairs has now been raised to one of the five top-level bilateral issues between the US and Japan. At the UN General Assembly bilateral meeting on Sept. 21, 2011, President Obama asked Prime Minister Noda to proceed with joining the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and resolve existing cases. This occurred as the result of a world-wide human rights movement. On January 6 this year, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated while visiting Japan that more progress is needed.

At the seminar, there will be networking sessions with government officials and diplomats of Japan and several countries to create a convivial atmosphere where constructive discussion can take place. Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Hamada will give the welcoming speech. People will be flying in from countries around the world such as China, Australia, Norway, and the US to attend the event.

In the afternoon, the issues will be explored in a panel discussion. Panelists include Colin Jones JD, Dr. Akiko Ohnogi, and left-behind mother Kirsten Snipp. The panel discussion will have simultaneous interpretation in Japanese. The purpose of the seminar is to improve understanding and facilitate discussion about this human rights issue with the aim of considering constructive solutions for reuniting left-behind parents with their children. I am a member of the Harvard College Class of 1983 who has been working on the issue in both the US and Japan with left-behind parents and government officials from several countries around the world.

In the evening, there will be a screening of “From the Shadows,” a documentary film about child abduction to and within Japan that focuses on the efforts of five left-behind parents to see their abducted children. Two are mothers; one is Japanese. Two fathers are the sole-surviving parent, yet they have no access to their respective children. Two parents in the film, Paul Wong and Rina Furuichi, will participate in the discussion. In November 2011, by invitation from U.S. Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, the directors screened “From The Shadows” on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and the film has appeared on CNN, ABC News, and the Today Show. This will be a private screening and fundraiser in the evening with open discussion about the film to follow. Please note that the current version is mostly in English without Japanese subtitles. David Hearn will answer questions. The website and trailer are at:

http://www.fromtheshadowsmovie.com/english/index.html

Please note: Reporters and media people may watch the movie, but they are prohibited from writing or making a media story about the movie in an official capacity for their work. It is a private screening and fundraiser for a work in progress. No pictures, video, or audio recording of this screening is permitted. Thank you for your cooperation.

The seminar will serve as the launch of activities to advance the process of resolving the abduction issue.

john.gomez.83@post.harvard.edu  contact John Gomez for full details of the event

DATE: April 9, 2012 13:00 – 17:00 and 18:00 – 21:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAv5pcqWogY&feature=youtu.be  

http://www.facebook.com/events/315155805215355/  

http://www.harvardclubofjapan.org 

ADMISSION: 4,000 yen for movie (6:30 pm), and/or 4,000 yen for seminar (3 pm), 8,000 yen in total (50% discount for students).

REGISTRATION: Please register by e-mail to address below.

e-mail: john.gomez.83@post.harvard.edu   

Kevin Brown – Special Contribution

Modern Tokyo Times

My name is Kevin Brown and I am the co-founder of Children First (http://www.childrenfirst.jp), an NPO that advocates for children in Japan. Children Firsts mission “is to ensure children’s welfare and rights are the top priority for parents, policymakers and the public-at-large.” Therefore, the role of Children First applies to many factors related to the rights of children in Japan and how to relate this knowledge to appropriate bodies in order to tackle and focus on areas which need changing in order to protect children.

Children First also understands the need to raise awareness and to connect with organizations, government bodies and the general public. Therefore, our next campaign is to interact with the general public and local government offices. In order to do this I am going to ride my bike from Kumamoto to Tokyo and throughout my journey I will be raising the issue of the rights of children. 

My ride will begin on September 13th and end on October 17th. Therefore, I will visit many prefectural offices during my journey and give a short presentation about the rights of children. In the past I have already visited 8 prefectural offices and given presentations about serious issues related to children. This proved beneficial and often they were unaware about serious issues related to the rights of children. Therefore, it was a great chance to interact with people of importance and to develop ties between Children First and local government bodies.

During the meetings we talked about a DVD made by the Supreme Court of Japan in 2006. The message in the DVD is quite simple. To be happy, children need both parents after divorce when both parents care about bringing up their child or children in the right way. The Supreme Court made the video but the Family Courts don’t show the video because of factors only known to them but is doesn’t make sense to ignore the Supreme Court. More surprisingly the Family Courts hide the existence of the video, therefore, the majority of parents don’t know about the importance of this video and the ones that do, are often not allowed to see it.

Another important piece of information I give to prefectural offices relates to the United Nations Convention on the Right of a Child (UNCRC). This Convention was signed and ratified by Japan and it states that children have the right to maintain contact with both parents. If the parent and child are separated for some reason then the state (Japan) must help re-establish contact with the non-custodial parent. The Family Courts also ignore this Convention, which is equivalent to a law which was ratified by the Japanese government.

Alongside this important information I also give prefectural offices a book written by Colin Jones, a law professor in Kyoto, related to the Family Court system. This book is about the Family Court system in Japan and it highlights the inadequacies of this institution. For citizens who support the rights of the child/children and both parents, then they would agree that the rulings handed down by judges are detrimental to the well-being of children in Japan. The Family Courts are not acting in the best interests of children because they are not considering all the facts and the wishes of each individual involved in each case. Family Courts need to revise their outdated laws and implement laws which are clear and which focus on human rights.  This applies to the well-being of children and all involved parties in each respective case. 

Children First also talks about Parental Alienation (PA) which is common in hostile divorces and this issue is very serious in Japan because of the inadequate legal system. This is when one parent says something bad to the child/children about the other parent in order break the bond that the other parent had and. It is clear that this manipulation is very damaging to all children who face this serious issue. According to child psychology experts there are different degrees of PA ranging from mild to severe. The main point being, PA is bad for children irrespective of the degree. Recently Brazil passed a law making PA a crime and it would be great if more countries did the same thing because this is a huge step in the right direction.

Another important area that Children First gives to prefectural offices is a “Did you know” hand out about statistics in Japan. “DID YOU KNOW: Every 3 minutes a child loses contact with one parent because of divorce…Every 7 minutes a child is a victim of school bullying…Every 12 minutes a case of child abuse is reported to protective services…Every week at least one child dies as the result of abuse.”

This is a great way to raise awareness quickly and not only is it interactive and easily understood but it is also designed to shake up a system which needs to make major changes, in order to protect children from abuse.

Every year around 160,000 children lose contact with one parent in Japan. However, to make matters worse Japan is not a good place for children who get caught up in divorce when one parent decides to control and alienate the child/children from the left behind parent. Government officials, bureaucrats, educators, and parents need to do more to make Japan a better place for all children and this is where Children First wants to help.

You can help Children First (Kevin Brown) raise awareness by following me on Facebook during my journey. Therefore, people can communicate with me through Facebook, share links with your friends and spread the word because together we can make a difference.

Children First cares for all children irrespective of race and gender because our goal is to bring more “light” to children who have been neglected and had their rights violated.

Please follow on http://www.facebook.com/oyako (Joint Custody in Japan) and Children First at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Children-First-Japan/115396388532379. Also, please visit Children First website at http://www.childrenfirst.jp/ for more information and how you can get involved and help in this important area.

Sincerely, Kevin Brown (Children First http://www.childrenfirst.jp/)

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Elijah Jacob

Modern Tokyo Times

A street demonstration and march from Mikawadai Park near exit 6 of Roppongi station past the US Embassy and Japan Federation of Bar Associations, ending in Hibiya Park on Tuesday August 23. The meeting starts at 11:00 am. The march starts at 11:30 am and goes till 12:30 pm.

Japan and Child Abduction: facts and issues raised by Fukushima
 
On July 28, there was a Congressional hearing in Congressman Chris Smith’s subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell and Special Adviser to the Office of Children’s Issues Susan Jacobs testified. The next day there was a town hall meeting for left-behind parents that they attended along with Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs and the new director of the Office of Children’s Issues Beth Payne as well as other US Government officials. Ambassador Roos participated from Tokyo via DVC.
 
The general message was that the State Department was pleased that Japan has agreed to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. No reservations that would water down or invalidate the spirit and important principles of the convention would be tolerated. It was also indicated that there have been great efforts in diplomacy with the Japanese government on the issue of child abduction. Ambassador Roos and Assistant Secretary Campbell agreed in their approach of private diplomacy on the issue while defending the public diplomacy on North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens 30 years ago. Left-behind parents are baffled if not outraged at the insistence of conducting the diplomacy on child abduction of American children in Japan privately. Scarcely any details were given about the strategy for recovering children in existing cases.
 
There were a number of other troubling developments during the Congressional hearing and town hall meeting. In Assistant Secretary Campbell’s written testimony to the hearing, he wrote that “As recently as 2005, the Department counted only 11 reported abduction cases involving Japan.”(1) This is clearly incorrect. Data obtained from the State Department indicates there were 85 reported cases involving 114 children at that time. The actual number of cases is certainly higher and always more than the reported number of cases. As of January 2011, there were 230 reported cases involving 321 American children abducted internationally to Japan. Since Christopher Savoie’s arrest in September 2009, the annual rate of reported international abductions of American children to Japan seems to have nearly tripled. From 2000 to his arrest in 2009, 23 children per year were reported abducted. Since his arrest over the last two years, the rate is about 62 children per year. A report of the current number of cases was not prepared for the town hall, and there was a steadfast refusal to acknowledge inactivated cases in a private conversation.
 
At the town hall, Dr. Coleman from the Department of Health and Human Services, a nuclear radiation oncologist, stated that there was no radiation exposure risk in Japan. However, there are a number of reports that are cause for concern. Kevin Maher who just left the State Department after 30 years has just published a book. He stated that there was a US Government plan to evacuate 90,000 US citizens from Tokyo in the days following the earthquake. “The US high-ranking officials wanted to evacuate the US citizens [from Tokyo] but the local officials including Maher objected, as “it would severely undermine the US-Japan alliance.”(2) The plan was never implemented. Maher later left the State Department over unflattering remarks that he made about Okinawans. This week he published a book called “Japan that cannot decide” in Japanese by the publisher Bunshun Shinsho. There are several long term studies that will be conducted. Two million people from Fukushima will have their health monitored for 30 years to check for the effects of radiation. (3) There will be lifetime testing of the thyroid for those who are children now in Fukushima.(4) There will be an epidemiological study of 100,000 mother-child groups across the country for children from birth to 13 years of age.(5)

The cause for concern is justified considering that children have been found to have radioactive cesium in their urine and radiation exposure to their thyroid gland.(6-8)
 
Quite a number of concerns have been raised. The State Department and US Embassy are conducting private diplomacy. Meanwhile, they are under-reporting the numbers of cases and claiming that there is no radiation exposure risk. Furthermore, US radiation policy considerations and press reports indicate there are in fact considerable grounds for concern about radiation exposure risk.
 
Consequently, both foreign and Japanese left-behind parents will stage a street demonstration and march from Mikawadai Park near exit 6 of Roppongi station past the US Embassy and Japan Federation of Bar Associations, ending in Hibiya Park on Tuesday August 23. The meeting starts at 11:00 am. The march starts at 11:30 am and goes till 12:30 pm. Vice President Biden will be in Tokyo during that time. The purpose of the demonstration is to raise public awareness about the abduction issue and urge Vice President Biden to address child abduction publicly so that the human rights of children and parents are protected and abducted children are returned to their loving parents. (9, 10) In order to end child abduction in Japan, there must be public announcements on the issue from the highest ranking elected officials of both governments.
 
References:
1. http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2011/07/169210.htm
2. http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/08/us-government-considered-evacuation-of.html
3. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110627x2.html
4. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110725p2a00m0na007000c.html
5. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110812p2a00m0na011000c.html
6. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110627a2.html
7. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110701a2.html　　
8. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110705p2g00m0dm079000c.html
9. http://www.meetup.com/Left-Behind-Parents-Japan/events/29426721/
10. http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/e/7/1/highres_49220081.jpeg

Please visit the following websites for more information about child abduction:

http://www.crcjapan.com/

http://www.chowiechowz.com/

http://bachome.org/wordpress/

Please inform friends about this issue.

http://moderntokyotimes.com

CTV: International Child Abduction Exposes Canadian/US National Border Passport Security Problems

Stephen Watkins Precious Boys Are Missing.  Please help him find his son’s.

Sonia Denice

chow-E-Chowz Expressions

Alexander Watkins & Christopher Watkins are missing. Have you seen them?

Stephen Watkins’ two sons were abducted by his estranged wife. Police believe they are in Poland. Watkins had custody, and tried to prevent the abduction. He has not seen his two son’s since 2009. Watkins is still searching for his two son’s.

I have had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Stephen Watkins more than once over the telephone about his missing children and his fight to find them. It is important if you have any information or know of anyone who has any information about his two son’s to please notify the authorities immediately. You may also contact Mr. Watkins by clicking on any of his links below.

Mr. Watkins ex-wife broke the law by abducting his two boy’s and fleeing the country.  His ex-wife is on the “Most Wanted” High Alert and a lead investigator has been assigned to help Mr. Watkins find his children. It is important that we help to reunite our missing children back to their families. Together, we can make it happen.

Other details about Stephen Watkins have been issued in the Canadian press and this will be expressed below in order for people to fully understand the severity of his case.  With every passing day his anxiety grows and it is vital that fresh leads are found.

Stephen Watkins

Canada AM – News & Interviews – Canadian / US Border Security Issues:

An Ontario father whose two sons were allegedly abducted by their non-custodial mother says he had fears that something might happen well before they disappeared more than two years ago.”

Stephen Watkins said he wrote letters to Passport Canada to have his Children’s Passports canceled but was unsuccessful. The Ontario’s Family Responsibility Office finally “Canceled” his ex-wife’s passport and “Suspended” her driver’s license through appropriate Provincial Enforcement Measures due to over a year of unpaid child support.”

Watkins said the issue has exposed a major security issue. Her passport had been cancelled after she failed to pay child support, but she still managed to cross the U.S. border and fly to Europe.

At the time, Canadian citizens could cross a U.S. land border with only a driver’s license and birth certificate.

U.S. Border customs only conducts VISUAL inspections of Canadian Passports as there is no shared database between Canada and the United States.

Edyta’s Drivers License were also confirmed “Suspended” by Ontario’s Family Responsibility Office along with her “Canceled” / “Revoked” Canadian Passport prior to the children’s abduction.

US Homeland Security confirmed with York Regional Police that 3-Canadian Passports were used.

“There were lots of signs and clues that told me there was a chance that they could be abducted,” Watkins told CTV’s Canada AM on Tuesday. “Going through court when there is parental alienation happening is a clue. And obviously where there is a threat — I received a threat that I would never see my boys again — that is another clue.”

Watkins last saw his children on March 6, 2009; Alexander was seven years old and Christopher was four. Stephen Watkins was granted final sole custody by the Ontario Family Courts on January 26, 2009. The family courts allowed his ex-wife to visit on weekends.

Police believe they were abducted to Europe by their non-custodial mother Edyta Watkins. York Regional Police say her father drove her and her sons across the border into the U.S., where they boarded a plane from Detroit to Frankfurt, Germany.

Det. Const. Jesse Mann said they believe she has since moved her boys to Poland, her country of origin, but need proof before local authorities will come on board.

“It is difficult to determine how engaged the Polish authorities are because all the information goes through the appropriate channels, RCMP and Interpol,” Mann said. 

A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Edyta Watkins, who goes by several other names, and she also appears on the RCMP’s most wanted list.

A world-wide Interpol “RED NOTICE” has also been issued by the country of Canada for the apprehension of Edyta Ustaszewski Watkins and her extradition and “YELLOW NOTICE” for the Watkins Missing Children

“It is so difficult, you can’t imagine, not knowing where they are or if they are alive. We see all these things in the news, there are tons of parental abductions, but we know bad things are happening.

“Finding them is really important,” Watkins said.

With files from The Canadian Press

ctvtoronto.ca – Date: Tuesday Mar. 8, 2011 10:12 AM ET

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/abducted/#clip429441

York Regional Police: Media Press Release (Jan 20, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4hiqnCEZbc

WATKINS MISSING CHILDREN – LINKS :  http://www.Watkins-Missing-Children.com/

YouTube MAIN Video :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ6ixtePgyI

YouTube Channel :  http://www.youtube.com/stephenawatkins

Facebook Group :  http://www.facebook.com/Watkins.Missing.Children

Twitter : http://twitter.com/Child_Abduction   ( @Child_Abduction )

HELP FIND MY CHILD : http://www.helpfindmychild.net

FOREVER SEARCHING :  http://www.foreversearching.com

CRIME STOPPERS OF YORK REGION
WISH TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS?
TEXT: Text your tip to CRIMES (274637) starting with the word YORK
CALL: 1-800-222-TIPS
WWW: http://www.1800222tips.com

CASH REWARD: $2,000 CDN

Lee Jay Walker 

Modern Tokyo Times

Lee Jay: Please give our readership details about yourself, your website and why you care so deeply about child abuse and child abduction.

Sonia: (Reply) Yes, thank you Lee Jay. I am the Founder of Chow-E-Chowz Expressions and Author of my new children’s book release Saved by a Whistle which teaches children about safety. I Attended Lisa Maile professional Image, Modeling & Acting School where I received a Certificate in TV & Commercial Acting in Orlando, Florida. I also attended the University Of Toledo to study Oral Communications & Creating Writing.

The reason why I started Chow-E-Chowz Expressions is, I believe that “Every child has a right to live safe around the world” which is the theme on my website. My website is there to provide valuable information on Child Safety and Missing Children along with other educational information that will help both adults and children.

I feel we all have a responsibility to educate our children on ways to protect themselves from people seeking to harm them. “You don’t have to be a parent to help save a child’s life, you just need to be available because when you save a child you save our future.”

Lee Jay:  When did you first become involved in child abduction issues?  Also, is your main concentration on Japan or do you focus on global child abduction?

Sonia: (Reply) I first became involved in child abduction issues a little over 5 years ago while writing the book, “Saved by a Whistle.” In my early teenage years, I remembered someone sharing a story about a young teen that was found at a local high school and she had been raped by more than one person and killed. I can’t share the gruesome act as to how she was killed but it made my stomach turn and my heart weep for her after hearing this story. I was so angry at the people who committed this horrible crime to this young innocent girl and it remains in my mind even to this day. On and off I would hear of such similar cases of children and teens being abused, abducted or killed and families suffering over the loss of their child and asked myself the question, why do such horrible acts have to happen especially to our children and how can we prevent this from happening to others?

In my researching I found this was not just a State issue but a global issue. My focus is on global child abduction but with a particular interest in Japan.

Lee Jay: In Japan child abduction is a serious issue and many left behind parents feel abandoned by the legal system.  What do you think about the current situation?

Sonia: (Reply) When I became a member of Left Behind Parent’s Meetup online, headed by Masako Suzuki, I found that it’s the Japanese general understanding that if they divorce, the noncustodial parent won’t be able to see the kid again. Japanese family law has no provision for visitation rights. No legal regulations exist for determining the rights of the parent without custody to meet their children. Japan is an abduction-friendly country and a magnet for international child abduction.

I find that this law is deplorable and unjust. It deprives the rights of the children being able to see or continue a healthy relationship with the other parent causing a further rift within families. There is no such thing as joint custody or negotiating the parental rights. It’s one gets all and the other nothing, which usually in Japan means that the father gets nothing (a minority of cases apply to females losing out).  I believe that even after the parents are divorced, they should be allowed to continue the relationship with their child/children. Personally speaking, this law currently sends a strong message to the world that Japan has little or no value in family therefore, bring us your children and we’ll keep them. Making international child abduction easy and acceptable in Japan. This of course is not all the citizens of Japan’s way of thinking but those who make and enforce such callus laws.

Lee Jay:  Do you believe that international embassies are helping left-behind parents?  Or do you think that many embassies feel let down by national governments which seem aloof?

Sonia: (Reply) Lee Jay, please allow me to say this, Japan I believe is a friend to the United States but when it comes to this divorce law, we don’t see eye to eye. The U.S. Department of State stated that in the “United States it is recognized in both federal and most states’ criminal laws which make international parental child abduction a crime.” One can face prison time if this law is violated. I believe it is important that we make a demand to our government to control the actions of our US Embassies and instruct them to assist left behind parents. These cases must be treated for what they are and that is, abduction cases.

Lee Jay: It is reported that Japan will ratify The Hague Convention but some people remain skeptical.  What do you think?

Sonia (Reply) I believe it’s important that Japan ratify The Hague Convention. Currently Japan is a non-Hague Country and on children issues, they advise left behind parents to seek other options, including pursuing U.S. criminal charges against abductors. The Hague Convention can assists parents in filing an application with foreign central authorities for return of, or access to, the child. It is easy to be skeptical about Japan becoming a signatory to the Hague Convention however history has taught us many things are possible, even when faced with skepticism. This is why we (I) continue to fight and never give up until such laws are changed.

Lee Jay:  I believe that too much focus is being put on The Hague Convention because many left behind parents will have got married in Japan and then lost their children in Japan.  How can The Hague Convention help these left-behind parents?

Sonia (Reply) As I mentioned previously, The Hague Convention can help the left behind parents for return of, or access to, their child/children. You have to start somewhere and if Japan is close to becoming a signatory of The Hague Convention, then that’s half the battle won. Which I might add, is one hell of a battle. I can’t even begin to imagine the anguish these parents must feel not being able to see their child/children. Any fight for freedom to have parental rights is necessary.

Lee Jay:  Again, even if The Hague Convention is signed with regards to the rights of children and parents.  What about parents whose cases came before Japan signing the convention (currently it is reported that Japan will sign)?

Sonia (Reply) Lee Jay, if you’re asking my opinion about the rights of parents whose cases came before Japan signing the convention, I believe those cases need to be re-visited and adjusted accordingly to the new law. Here in the United States, I am reminded of the many cases where innocent people were tried, convicted and found guilty and sent to prison for a crime they didn’t commit. Because of new DNA testing, in many cases, those who were once found guilty for whatever reason are now free. The new DNA testing applies to today’s law and the old. I feel this strongly about the cases that came before Japan signing, which we heard they are currently signing. You might say different apples and oranges but same principles apply. Justice is Justice no matter what form it comes in. It’s still Justice.

Lee Jay:  I get upset about the fact that the majority of criminals are treated better than left-behind parents.  After all, if I stole something then I would be let out of prison within a short period of time.  Also, most rapists get out of prison relatively quickly.  However, for left-behind parents they are innocent but are treated like pariahs or they are not listened to.

Even worse, their sentence can range between 1 to 17 years depending on the age of their children.  What do you think about this or do I sound a little strong?

Sonia: (Reply) Lee Jay, I tend to share your views on this as well however, I try to focus more on the parents who were reunited back to their children which gives me hope that others will soon follow. Someone asked, how do you eat an elephant? The answer was, “One bite at a time.” The issues we face around the world are tumultuous and seem endless. It is up to us as a people in every state and country to tackle such issues as child abduction and become united. Therefore, one day we just might bring down that elephant called abduction and do away with such laws that cause division altogether. Your convictions certainly are not too strong. Without those convictions for justice, our world would be in utter chaos.

Lee Jay:  Again, on the same theme. For some parents and grandparents their sentence is life because of the indoctrination of their children, cultural alienation and parental alienation.  How is it that left-behind parents, grandparents and other family members are treated so barbarically by the justice system?

Or, maybe you disagree or have a more mild opinion?

Sonia: (Reply) I believe Lee Jay that grandparents should be given legal rights to maintain contact with their grandchildren after a divorce. There needs to be radical proposals submitted to the government to allow grandparents and families greater access to see their children. There is ‘little or no’ recognition of the vital role grandparents play in society and this needs to change. In some cases where the parent who was awarded custody dies, instead of giving custody to the surviving parent or families, the custody of children are left in the hands of strangers. In this case Lee Jay, I have to agree with you, it is quite barbaric.

Lee Jay:  Do you see hope in the future for left-behind parents?

Sonia: (Reply) I see much hope for the future for Left Behind Parents. Look how far they have come thus far. They are educating people around the world including myself to this problem and look at what the government of Japan is doing concerning Left Behind Parents. The fight is far from over but at least they are making some headway. No longer can we sleep on this issue, we must rise to the occasion because after all, without families none of us would exist. This is a Family Global Issue not just an issue. America’s roots, Japan’s roots and the root’s of other countries around the world all stems from family and the value of the family. No one should ever be forced to give up their family rights if proven worthy.  It is an offense, in my opinion to God. Now in the case of abuse, that’s one thing, but if there is no abuse or neglect, then both parents should be given equal rights.

Lee Jay: It also makes me sad and angry that grandparents are not taken into account and the same applies to other family members.  Why are so many punished for loving their grandchild and so forth?

Sonia: (Reply) Lee Jay, you ask a good question. Why are grandparents left out of the picture and punished for loving their grandchild? This is beyond me. A grandparent is one of great wisdom and importance and should be allowed to have a loving relationship with their grandchildren. Unfortunately in most cases, they are stuck in the middle and torn between the law and their rights. I have known grandparents that have gone above and beyond to help their grandchild because of the deep love and affection they have for the child/children. Some grandparents reason for living has been because of the close bond and connection they have established with their grandchild. The grandparent may not have received the proper love and care needed in society and in many cases suffered rejection from their own children but with open tender arms, they were received and loved by their grandchildren’s unconditional love that kept them going. Now the courts or estrange family takes the only true love and connection to life they have away leaving the grandparent devastated. Where have the family values gone?

Lee Jay:  The financial burden is also huge and while the legal system is good at taking money away from victims of the legal system.  The same legal system appears to be inept.  What do you think about this?

Sonia: (Reply) I once read an article called The Financial Cost of Child Abduction by Timothy Weinstein on the abduction case of David Goldman; in the 4 ½ years since his son, Sean, was abducted; he has spent over $360,000 in legal and travel expenses. He is not alone and according to a December 27, 2008 article published in the Financial Post, “[Francois Larivee] has burned through $150,000, and still there is no end in sight.”

Add to this list, Marty Pate who to date has spent over $135,000, Klaus Zensen who has spent $65,000, Alessandra Oliveira is at $30,000 and counting – and the list goes on and on. Yet not one of these parents has their child back home. The article went on to say that “There are certain legal strategies of use to help alleviate the costs of expensive litigation related to a petition under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. One such strategy is to sue the abducting parent (and any accomplices) in the United States courts. If you’re lucky enough, they may have assets you can retrieve.” 

Lee Jay, what parent has this kind of money to spend. It is obvious that they have to raise money through various support groups, organizations, charities, churches, family and friends to afford such cost. Yet they still don’t have their child/children? This is unfortunate and costly to the parent. However, it just shows the tremendous act of true love a parent has for their child/children. When that child is taken from them illegally, the respective parent will go through great lengths no matter what the cost to be reunited with their child/children.

Lee Jay:  Changing the topic.  You recently wrote a book called Saved by a Whistle and it is about children.  Why did you write this book and how important is it for you?

Sonia: (Reply) Yes Lee Jay, I recently published a book, Saved by a Whistle. As stated earlier, I was inspired to write this book because I believe in the safety of children. Child safety remains an important issue and it’s important that we provide every measure to improve the safety, quality and longevity of our children.

Lee Jay:  How about your feedback from your book called Saved by a Whistle?  Have you had encouragement and good reactions?

Sonia: (Reply) Yes Lee Jay, I’ve received many positive feedback and encouragement from my book. Recently I interviewed a 7 year old bright young girl by the name of Valentina. You can view the video on my website. She of course read my book and gave an awesome review in which has sparked the interest of others. Also on my website I list a few adult reviews who read my book and loved it. One of my reader’s had this to say about my book. “I am so excited to get my message out there to young children,” Denice says. “I enjoyed working with my illustrator to bring my characters to life, and I think the finished product is something that will entertain and teach at the same time.”  So you can imagine Lee Jay how excited I was.

Lee Jay: If you could offer five sound pieces of advice about children and their rights then what five things would you highlight the most?

Sonia: (Reply) The five things I would highlight to most about children and their rights are;

1. 1.      Children should have a healthy and safe childhood
2. 2.      We can give our children the confidence to speak out and to rectify things when it’s not fair.
3. 3.      It’s important that we show children their capability to be anything they want to be in life and not allow anyone to take that away from them.
4. 4.      Children have rights and a responsibility to respect others rights
5. 5.      Finally, it’s important that we get involved some way in helping to protect the rights of our kid’s

Lee Jay:  Do you have plans to write another book or a follow up from your original book?

Also, in what ways are you involved in helping left-behind parents and how do you see your future direction?

Sonia: (Reply) I am currently in Japan’s Left behind group. I wrote to Masako who is the organizer and asked if I could share their information on my website in the hope of educating others and she said yes. At this time my involvement is providing the public with educational information on Child Safety and Missing Children around the world. I’ve communicated with various people in the United States and in Japan and shared some of their stories on my website.

Giving parents an opportunity to share their personal stories on how their child/children were abducted is the least I can do but not at all by far I can do. You might call me a reporter. I search for stories and important issues on Child Safety and Missing Children and I report it by making the public aware on my website. I also send out weekly email campaigns to many subscribers informing them on important issues about our children. I believe they need to know and I want to keep such issues in the forefront of people’s minds in the hope that they will either get involved or pass the message along to others. I plan to one day soon start a Meet-up Group here in the United States concerning the issues of Child Safety and Missing Children.

As the business grows, my desire is to also travel abroad and become more involved in helping children all over the world. Child Safety and Missing Children are very important issues, however, there are children who are hungry, homeless and in need of great medical care. If I can somehow through my website obtain donations and assistance and help children in any way to live a quality and safe life, I will do all I can to help. I admit, I am a new author and my business is just starting and there is so much to learn and to do. However, the growth and potential of reaching others to help save our children is endless.

Lee Jay:  Would you like to add anything?

Sonia (Reply) In closing Lee Jay, the only thing I have to say is this. It’s one thing to think about helping children, but it’s another to do something about helping our children. Let us all put our thoughts to action to help save our children. We all have an important role to play. Some big and some small but it’s all important. You can give to various organizations that help children, you can report the news to others in your community or online in educating people on child issues, you may be able to travel abroad and lend a helping hand or stand side by side with those who are fighting for the rights of children. No matter what you choose to do, it’s needed and it must be done. Please join in and help like so many others have and help save our children. “Every Child Has A Right To Live Safe Around The World.”

I want to quickly add, if there is anyone who has a story they would like to share on child safety, missing child or any information concerning our children, I will be more than happy to feature you on my website. Please go to www.chowiechowz.com to contact me and I’ll be sure to get in touch with you. I just ask that you share your story on video that is YouTube friendly.

Lee Jay:  Thank you for your valuable time and I really appreciate your honesty and patience with my questions.

Sonia (Reply) I like to thank you Lee Jay for interviewing me and giving me this opportunity to share on Modern Tokyo Times about my book, my website and most importantly about important issues on Child Safety and Missing Children. I believe in the work that you and Mr. White are doing and I pray that others catch on and support your cause and message. Thank you again.

http://www.chowiechowz.com/special-articles/

Sonia Denice is the author of Saved by a Whistle

Order online @ www.authorhouse.com or call to order by phone:

1-(888) 519-5121 Ext 5022  (USA) 

Also available in over 24,000 bookstores online.  Order Today!

Please visit http://www.chowiechowz.com/ and check the website about children and very important areas related to child safety and kidnap.

Susan Sachinelli
Modern Tokyo Times (Part 1)

Child abductions unfortunately occur all over the world. And while some of the cases are solved, a majority of the cases are not, even when the parent knows who the abductor is – the other parent. A discouraging phenomenon in Australia has been parents, mainly Japanese, abducting the child or children back to Japan. The Australian Embassy located in Japan said in 2010, there were 13 abductions to date.

Despite Japan and Australia having close diplomatic and economic relations, getting these children back is no easy task. What is most unfortunate is the fact that the Australian government has been extremely unhelpful to these left-behind parents. Numerous Australian left-behind parents have not only been left-behind from their children, but believe their government has left them behind as well.

Matt Wyman, an Australian national, whose Japanese wife abducted their two sons to Japan in 2008, said that the Australian government has provided no assistance to date. Furthermore, the judges on a number of these left-behind parent cases were ineffectual and caused the parent to lose all contact with their abducted children. Parents like Matt Wyman have spent thousands of dollars on necessary legal fees only to see no progress. To make matters worse, his Japanese wife is now demanding child support while residing in Japan in which the Australian government simply enforces, although Matt Wyman’s children have been abducted.

Even though the Japanese government signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in March 1994, which provides both parents access to their children, current Japanese laws only allow the Japanese parent to make the final decision regarding if the left-behind parent will receive visitation rights. Currently, Japan does not provide reciprocation to Australian court orders.

In Japan, the idea of “shared custody” is a foreign concept and after a divorce, custody is granted to one parent only. This includes children illegally abducted from the national home of origin. Furthermore, Japanese law clearly states that if the Japanese parent that abducted the child/children dies, the illegally abducted child/children do not go to the parent left behind or another foreign relative. Instead, they are given to the Japanese grandparents.

In the last 55-plus years, there has yet to be a case where a child has been returned to the parent after being abducted to Japan. Therefore, Japan is seen as a safe haven for the abduction of children. In fact, even non-Japanese parents flee with abducted children to Japan and exploit the system there for their own benefit.

Australia is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. There is so much to see and do that it is never a dull moment. However, the beauty of the country is marred by this current situation. Presently, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Australian Federal Police have been unable or unwilling to extradite parents from Japan who abducted children. Australia needs to do much more to protect all left-behind parents and inhibit further parental abductions to Japan and determine a concrete method to get children back to their left-behind parents.

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Please click on the following websites to read about child abduction issues in Japan:

http://crcjapan.wordpress.com/

http://www.chowiechowz.com/

http://www.bachome.org/wordpress/

The story of Tim Johnston whose child, Kai was taken away from him in Japan by his mother

New Book Release

Saved by a Whistle

Sonia Denice

Saved by a Whistle by Sonia Denice

Sonia Denice

Sonia Denice is the Founder of Chow-E-Chowz Expressions. She enjoys writing and singing and recently made her debut in acting when she landed an important role in a short film produced by an independent filmmaker based in Denton, Texas.

Sonia Attended Lisa Maile professional Image, Modeling & Acting School where she received a Certificate in TV & Commercial Acting in Orlando, Florida. She attended the University Of Toledo to study Oral Communications & Creating Writing.

Being single with no children has never stopped Sonia from embracing other children in need of guidance. She feels we all have a responsibility to educate our children on ways to protect themselves from people seeking to harm them. ” You don’t have to be a parent to help save a child’s life,” Sonia’s states. “You just need to be available because when you save a child you save our future,” she adds.

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Sonia Denice announces the release of her debut children’s book. Saved by a Whistle introduces the Chow-E-Chowz, delightful characters that will teach kids a valuable lesson about safety.

“I am so excited to get my message out there to young children,” Denice says. “I enjoyed working with my illustrator to bring my characters to life, and I think the finished product is something that will entertain and teach at the same time.”

Saved by a Whistle’s beautifully illustrated pages show kids what to do when they meet a stranger who seeks to harm them. Parents, teachers, and members of the police will all find this charming book a powerful tool to help keep our streets and our kids safe.

“I would use this book as a tool in my speaking engagements to schools,” one police officer said. “Sonia Denice has taken a message that hasn’t lost its importance over time and given it a new face. The Chow-E-Chowz are delightful, and kids can really relate to them.”

Please buy the book!

Order online @ www.authorhouse.com or call to order by phone:

1-(888) 519-5121 Ext 5022  (USA)

Also available in over 24,000 bookstores online.  Order Today!

Please visit http://www.chowiechowz.com/ and check the website about children and very important areas related to child safety and kidnap.

http://www.chowiechowz.com/new-book-release/ 

 

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

japan and child abduction

It appears that the Japanese government is mulling over signing the Hague Convention and giving rights to international parents.  However, it is abundantly clear that for parents who are caught up in “this ongoing nightmare” and for future foreign parents; then the signing may become “a dead letter?”

This article is not based on the Hague Convention because I believe that major barriers will still be put in place.  Also, what are the ramifications of the Hague Convention for the international parent who got married in Japan and whose children were brought up in Japan?

My focus is on the countermeasures which will be used by the Japanese legal system, marriage counselors, solicitors representing the Japanese parent, politicians who oppose the ratification, and other vested parties.

In several articles in the Japanese press, and also commented on in the BBC, it specified that “Critics have raised concerns over joining the pact, saying it could endanger Japanese parents and kids who have fled abusive relationships.”

Roland Buerk who is a correspondent for the BBC highlighted the case of Alex Kahney who is a British national.  However, while the article was sympathetic towards Alex Kahney and other fathers and parents who are caught up within the failed Japanese legal system.

He failed to challenge or give credence to the statement by Akiko Oshima who is a marriage counselor.  Therefore, Roland Buerk from the BBC allowed Akiko Oshima to state “These women who come back, do not do it because they want to.” 

“They feel this is the only way out. They want their child to be brought up in Japan, and not in the host country where the father is abusive and she has no control over her children’s education, and so forth. Not even, say, getting a job to support herself. This is the problem.”

Firstly, why does Akiko Oshima imply that the father is always abusive? Are we meant to believe that every single foreign father in every case is the problem and not the Japanese spouse?

This comment is tinged with sexism and racism because each case must be judged on merit and not based on the ethnicity of the individual or the sex of the parent. 

Even more alarming; why didn’t Roland Buerk challenge this comment or at least state facts about the implication of what Akiko Oshima was stating?

It appears that Akiko Oshima by her comment is implying that Japan cares about “child abuse” but why didn’t Roland Buerk challenge her on this issue?

After all, you have very few articles which highlight this serious situation and all the positives were negated.  Therefore, let us see if Akiko Oshima is factual about Japan caring about “child abuse” because she implies that women are leaving foreign nations because “They want their child to be brought up in Japan, and not in the host country where the father is abusive.”

However, when did Japan take child abuse seriously?  In 2008 you had 42,664 cases of child abuse and in 2009 you had 44,210 cases of child abuse.  New laws passed were meant to give welfare workers more power to apply for warrants in child abuse cases.

However, in 2008 only two warrants were asked for and astonishingly in 2009 only one warrant was asked for.  This fact paints a different picture to the one being painted by Akiko Oshima and her statement should have been backed up by facts.

Therefore, basically, out of over 86,000 reports of child abuse only three child warrants were asked for.  Given this, then clearly the rights of the child in Japan is not being taken seriously and Akiko Oshima should focus on reforming the Japanese legal system and systematic thinking; rather than making “sweeping comments” and implying that Japan is a haven for child rights who are being protected by abusive foreign fathers.

In a case involving two young children who were starved to death by their “abusive mother” then let us analyze this sad and tragic case. After all, international parents need to know that countermeasures are being taken in order to deprive them from seeing their children and the sweeping comment by Akiko Oshima should set off alarm bells.

In this tragic case Japanese neighbors tried to help these two young children who were starved to death slowly by their mother.  Therefore, neighbors contacted the child welfare department in Osaka but sadly like the earlier figure states, nothing was done.

Yes, child welfare officers knocked on the door five times but at no point do they seek a warrant or to see the children.  They also did not contact the police and because of this systematic failure these two young children died slowly and in mass pain and suffering.

If people within Japan or organizations are concerned about child abuse and abusive parents then let me be frank; they have 86,000 cases in order to help the innocent child being abused in Japan between 2008 and 2009.

Also, these are only the reported cases because silence appears to rule the day or maybe people have given up because of the inept system?

The decomposed bodies of 3 year old Sakurako Hagi and her baby brother, Kaede, aged 1, were found after months of inactivity by the child welfare organizations.

The mother, Shimomura, aged 23, stated that she wanted “to flee from everything and have time to myself…I knew they wouldn’t be able to survive if not given food or water.  I abandoned them and killed them as a result.”

Shimomura killed her children but the child welfare institution was also behind the deaths of these two children because they failed to help and rescue them from the pits of hell. 

In another case in Osaka a mother killed her child because the child had thrown away her console game. 

Shizuku Tanaka, aged three, was suffocated and put in a garbage bag by her mother and boyfriend.  This child had her hands and feet taped up and died in agonizing pain because Yui Tanaka, her mother, and her boyfriend, wanted to play a game and apparently the child was noisy.

Her mother stated that “Even when we scolded her, she didn’t listen.”  Apparently Yui Tanaka had stated the previous year that “Even if this kid died, I wouldn’t cry.”

Randy Collins, father of Keisuke Christian Collins, stated in his article called The Façade of Honor and Respect that “Another façade by the Japanese is that when confronted with these staggering numbers, the same mantra is said over and over again: ‘We are protecting our women and children from abuse of the Americans’.”

Like Randy Collins comments, and the figure of only three warrants out of 86,000 reported child abuse cases implies in 2008 and 2009; then the concern of protecting the rights of the Japanese national from the abusive father is “a red herring.”

I have not focused on the Hague Convention because it is abundantly clear that countless obstacles will be put in the way.  Also, how about the rights of the international parent who was married in Japan and whose child or children were born in Japan?

Not only this; how about the rights of Japanese nationals who can’t see their children in Japan.  You have so many areas which the Hague Convention does not cover. 

Yes, it is clearly a huge step in the right direction but I fear that it will become “a dead letter” for many parents who are already caught up in this nightmare.

The same applies to future parents who will face the sad reality of the Japanese legal system.

I believe that it is essential for international parents and Japanese parents to focus on countermeasures and obstacles which will be put in their way.  Therefore, the facts must be given in order to debunk individuals who want to play “the Japanese female victim card.”

Every case must be judged on merit and when you have two parents who love their child or children then joint access is essential.  In some cases the best sole parent may be the Japanese mother, the Japanese father, the international mother or the international father.

In truth, each case will have special factors but let us not forget the child or children because it sometimes appears that they do not count in the legal system of Japan. 

Racism must be taken out of the legal system and the same applies to sexism and enforcement powers in Japan are needed.

International parents who have pressurized national governments and embassy staff have done well to get so far.  However, the path ahead remains difficult and countermeasures are being taken before the ratification of the Hague Convention.

Therefore, it is vital that stereotypes are debunked and this certainly applies to “the female victim card” and the issue of “abuse.”

I also must add that many females have also been victims of the Japanese legal system because enforcement powers are ineffective within the Japanese legal system.

In truth, so many areas need to be changed in order to give rights to left behind parents and left behind grandparents.

http://www.crcjapan.com/  (please visit for important information about the rights of children)

http://www.bachome.org  (please visit for important information about the rights of children)

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Walter Benda

Walter Benda, co-founder of Children's Rights Council of Japan, whose 2 U.S. citizen daughters were abducted in 1995.

On its website (http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20100122-85.html), the U.S. Embassy in Japan has compiled statistics for the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom showing the tremendous growth in the number of international child abduction cases by Japanese spouses since 2000, with the number of cases having quadrupled from 2005 to 2009.  The chart shows that there are about 400 reported cases just for these 5 nations since 2005, and many of these cases involve more than just one child.

While 400 cases for 5 nations during the 2005 to 2009 period might seem like a lot, Children’s Rights Council of Japan believes these statistics are still vastly undercounted, and that the cumulative cases of internationally abducted children in Japan from all countries would actually number in the thousands, perhaps exceeding 10,000.

We came up with this estimate using a very rough approach that we think is pretty close.

Here is how we came up with our numbers when we first calculated them a few years ago:

1.  According to a widely cited 1990 U.S. Department of Justice study called “National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children,” 354,100 abductions per year are committed by family members in the U.S. Based on the 1990 U.S. population of 248,709,873, this works out to a U.S. per capita family abduction rate of 0.0014237.

2.  Assuming that this per capita family abduction rate is about the same for the Japanese population, based on the July 2006 estimated population of 127,463,611, the total number of estimated abductions per year in Japan by family members works out to 181,470.  Even if we are off by 20% or more in making this assumption, we will make a conservative adjustment further below that more than makes up for any possible error in this step.

3.  Looking at recent periods, such as for example 2000-2003, 4.8% of all Japanese marriages involved a foreigner marrying a Japanese. Assuming the frequency of family abductions is about the same for Japanese married to Japanese as it is for Japanese married to foreigners, we can apply this 4.8% percentage to the estimated 181,470 family abductions in 2006, and can conclude that about 8,710 of the estimated family abductions in Japan involve an international marriage between a Japanese and a foreigner.

4.  Although most of the international child abductions involving children in Japan seem to be committed by the Japanese parent, for the sake of argument we will assume that family abductions in Japan are done equally frequently by the foreign spouse as by the Japanese spouse.  This would mean that half of the 8,710 estimated international marriage family abduction cases, or approximately 4,305 cases, involve children of international marriages abducted to or retained in Japan by the Japanese spouse.

5.  With U.S. citizens accounting for about 4.5% of the international couples, 194 of the estimated 4,305 cases would involve U.S. children being abducted to or retained in Japan.

6.  To provide for a very conservative margin of error, and adjust for the assumptions in step 2 above and other assumptions we have made, we will reduce our estimates from above by 50%.  Even so, this would mean that there are more than 2,000 international cases PER YEAR of children of international marriages being abducted to or retained in Japan by the Japanese parent, with almost 100 cases PER YEAR involving U.S. children.

Cumulatively, adding together all the cases for the past 5 or more years, the total easily could be more than 10,000 international cases and over 500 cases involving U.S. children.

Most cases, especially those where the foreign parent resides in Japan, never get reported to the U.S. State Department or other agencies in Japan or other countries.  These numbers are very hard to determine without using an estimation process as used above as there are no missing children organizations or Japanese government official records about abducted/missing children in Japan. 

One thing is for sure, though.  Official numbers reported by the U.S. Embassy in Japan and other governmental organizations far underestimate the true prevalence of this problem.  To get our arms around this problem, it is imperative that Japan establish a missing children’s organization to start collecting such data, as is done in most developed countries.  Once the problem gets better identified, effective solutions can be developed.

Walter Benda is the CEO of Children’s Rights Council of Japan

 Please visit  the following link for more information:  http://www.crcjapan.com/

Child abduction in Japan is a major problem

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The government of Japan continues to allow international child abduction because it is clear that many national governments have asked Japan to change the legal system. However, the government of Japan just ignores the issue or brushes it under the carpet. Yet one aspect of Japanese law is clear, and this is the racial nature of the legal system and how Japanization is the “heart” of this policy. Therefore, why isn’t Japan deemed to be a pariah in the international community?

Firstly, I want to highlight the case of Shane Clarke, a British national, because The Guardian newspaper highlighted his case on Sept. 15, 2008. Before focusing on this case it is important to mention that The Guardian newspaper is very liberal, therefore, you always get a balanced point of view.

The article, written by Justin McCurry, highlights the problem of child abduction in Japan and the ineffectiveness of the legal system in this nation. Sadly, but only all too frequently, Shane Clarke would soon understand that the legal system in Japan is not based on fairness, equality, justice, or equal rights; on the contrary, he would see the true nature of Japanese family law which is based on racism and inactivity.

Shane Clarke states about his Japanese wife that “From the moment I met her at Narita airport I knew something was wrong.” He continued by stating that “The whole thing had been orchestrated.”

Yet I would add further, that the whole thing being orchestrated literally means “the whole thing being orchestrated.” I am talking about the government, the judicial system, the police, and all major institutions being “orchestrated” in order to preserve the supremacy of Japanese nationals over non-Japanese nationals.

Justin McCurry states the following “Japan is the only G7 nation not to have signed the 1980 Hague convention on civil aspects of child abduction, which requires parents accused of abducting their children to return them to their country of habitual residence. He is one of an estimated 10,000 parents, divorced or separated from their Japanese spouses, who have been denied access to their children. Since the Hague treaty came into effect, not a single ruling in Japan has gone in favour of the foreign parent.

Yes, read again, “not a single ruling in Japan has gone in favour of the foreign parent.” Therefore, no right-minded individual with these statistics can claim that the justice system is based on equality in Japan. The only other possible conclusion can be racism and we are talking about institutional and systematic racism. Also, we are talking about collusions and “done deals” between different institutions in the name of “Japanization.”

Surely this issue must be raised at the United Nations? Yet sadly, many national governments like the British are hypocrites because the government of the United Kingdom understands full well that child abduction in Japan is a major reality. Therefore, how can the British government support Japan over the abduction issue in North Korea, yet remain quiet over the abduction of British children of mixed blood in Japan?

However, the European Union, America, and Canada, are all urging Japan to sign the Hague Convention which relates to children. Of course the British government is too meek and mainly interested in economic issues, therefore, Japan makes the most of its economic clout and the indifference of many national governments.

Turning back to the case of Shane Clarke, he would soon understand that the legal system of Japan is not based on equality but on racism. Also, he would soon find out that the British government is compliant and helping Japan to violate human rights by remaining silent and indifferent.

Shane Clarke states “We are talking about two British citizens, and no one will help me. The message our government is sending out to foreign nationals is that it’s perfectly all right for them to commit a crime on British soil, and as long as they leave the country quickly enough, they’ll get away scot-free.”

Justin McCurry also notes “he can expect little sympathy from Japanese courts, which do not recognize parental child abduction as a crime and habitually rule in favour of the custodial – Japanese – parent.” Not surprisingly, Japan is being rebuked for being “a haven for child abductors” by campaigners.

Therefore, Japan should be taken to the United Nations and a binding resolution should be passed on this nation. After all, 10,000 cases involving a non-Japanese national and a Japanese national in Japan but despite this high number, not one single case where a foreign national won equality or justice? Therefore, racism and a system which loathes the “outsider” is clearly a reality in modern Japan.

The talking must stop because action is now needed and it is vital that this issue is raised until Japan is shamed into acting like a normal developed nation. Clearly Japan will only act if all major powers raise this issue and ordinary citizens must do more to put pressure on national leaders.

Japan is an international pariah when it comes to international child abduction and clearly Japan wants to become a permanent member of the United Nations. Therefore, it is important to focus on Japan’s “weak spot” and raise this issue with the United Nations and to make sure that all national governments know about this important issue.

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com (I am the writer of this article)

http://moderntokyotimes.com