10.05.2005
Chechen supporting meetings in Tokyo and Kumamoto

The Saturday evening May 7, in two Japanese cities Chechen supporters meeting were held. In Japanese capital Tokyo, co-organizers, the Citizen Peace Funds (CPF) and the Editorial Room Chechen-News held a series meeting «WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CHECHNYA» and this time two reporters told on their experiences toward about 60 participants. Miss Kaori SHU, young refugee’s supporter told on her activity in Tokyo for some Kurd refugees families. According to her report, Japanese governmental policy to refugees is a typical hypocrisy. One side Japanese government contributing to UNHCR the largest amount of yearly allotment however accepts refugees from abroad only 10 — 15 persons per year! Moreover, offences against UNHCR recognition of refugees status, extraditing refugees to their country. Miss SHU went to check recently extradited Kurd families from Japan to Turkey. In Turkey Miss SHU got contact not only with Kurd people but with Chechen refugees. Here in Japan there was very few information on Chechen refugees or Diaspora in Turkey. So, participants asked her a lot of questions.

The second speaker was Mr. Kosuke Shamil-Khadsi TSUNEOKA, well known Japanese Muslim journalist recently also visited Turkey as well as near east and European countries. Mr. TSUNEOKA gave some additional information on Chechen refugees in Turkey and told his recent visit in Switzerland and France, introducing some photo shots on Chechen Peace March Paris — Strasbourg, to which he joined together with the Reverend Junsei TERASAWA from Buddhist School Nipponzan Myouhouji.

Mr. Tadashi AOYAMA, the representative of CPF mentioned on the Rev. TERASAWA’s great efforts for peace against Chechen war and informed Audience’s recent «accident» at the Polish-Ukrainian border. As information Norwegian news-site Forum 18, the Rev. TERASAWA was refused to re-enter to Ukraine and his effective double-entry visa was cancelled. Documentary filmmaker Mr. Kazuo OKADA introduced audiences draft text of the letter to the President Yushenko and the Prime-minister Timoshenko asking for retraction of refuse TERASAW’s enter to Ukraine. Mr. OKADA mentioned that the Rev. TERASAWA and his Buddhist students never violated the national law of Ukraine. He just sharply criticized Russian war policy in Chechnya. At the end of the meeting, Mr. AOYAMA of CPF mentioned that from January to May, 2005, one event per month in Tokyo they organized Chechen supporting meetings with enough many new participants. In case of visit Russian President Vladimir PUTIN to Japan, will be realized, let us welcome him by mass meeting against the Chechen War and demand him immediate stop of his criminal war.

The second meeting was held in Kumamoto-city on the southern island Kyushu. At the Town International Hall screened Russian feature film «NOCHEVALA TOUCHKA ZOLOTAYA — The Golden Clouds Spent the Night» directed by Ingush film-director S. MAMILOV and Chechen Animation «WHEN THE SPRING WILL COME» made by Timur OZDAMIR and Zara IMAEVA. Famous photographer and documentary filmmaker Mr. Seiichi MOTOHASHI introduced his photo slides on Chechen refugees and Diasporas in Kazakhstan. Numbers of participants were nearly 300 and about 30% of them were teenagers. The initiator of this event Mrs. Nobuko KYO (KAN Shin-ja), well known Japanese Korean writer who also visited Kazakhstan last year, told on her encounters with Chechen friends at their second homeland. She also mentioned on the importance of the cultural survival for Chechen nation confronting with brutal war for already 10 years. She appealed toward audiences to support cultural initiatives of the Chechen Diasporas in Kazakhstan as well as Zara IMAEVA’s ongoing children video production «The Neighbors» in Chechen language at Baku, Azerbaijan.

At this event, nearly one hundred teenagers of Kumamoto discussed on Chechen war as well as on WWII when many Japanese elder people could not against the militarism and war. And on importance what is possible for themselves on peace keeping and solidarity with Chechen people. They expressed strong desire to meet with Chechen youth someday, on liberated democratic and peaceful Chechnya!
ChechenWatch
http://www.chechentimes.org/en/news/?id=28800