2008-04-12
Case 1:
Kim Ae Hwa, a representative from the Korean organization "Committee of Asian Women" arrived at Narita Airport on March 7th to participate at an international conference which was planned on the following day by the "Network questioning the G8", a critical group against the G8 Summit at Lake Toya.
When she tried to pass the immigration gate around 4:40 pm, she was questioned by the immigration bureau and was refused to enter Japan. Ms. Ae Hwa declared that she was a "CAW member" and wanted to take part at the conference, but the immigration officer considered the purpose of her visit as "unclear" and denied her entry so that she had to fly back to South Korea in the evening of that day.
2 days later on March 9th, Ms. Ae Hwa attempted to enter Narita Airport with her invitation card for the second time. This time, she could enter Japan without any problems and was able to participate at some parts of the conference.
Case 2:
Martin Kraemer, a German activist and Doctor of Agriculture, attempted to enter Otaru Port via Sakhalin, Russia, with a passenger-freighter on March 10th with the objective to participate at a conference related to G8 in Sapporo. However, the immigration authorities in Otaru denied his entry without any reasons. Mr. Kraemer had to remain in the vessel while lawyers interviewed him and filed an objection with the immigration authorities. The authorities insisted on the refusal of entry, so Mr. Kraemer returned on March 14th with the vessel to Russia and flew back to Germany.
Case 3:
The Italian philosopher Antonio Negri was planning to participate at a symposium organized by the Tokyo University, Kyoto University and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music which was scheduled for the end of March. In the 1970s, Mr. Negri was accused of being involved in the Red Brigades. After he was sentenced to prison, he went into exile to Paris, returned 1998 to Italy, where he was imprisoned for some time. In 2003, he was granted amnesty and returned to Paris where he still lives today. For his visit to Japan, the Japanese embassy in Paris had assured Mr. Negri that he did not need visa. Thus, on March 17th - 2 days before the planned departure of Mr. Negri to Japan - the foreign ministry of Japan declared that, regarding the circumstances of the immigration control in the run-up to the G8, there was a high risk of entry refusal if Mr. Negri came to Japan without visa. And on the following day on March 18th, the foreign ministry told the organizers of the symposium that a visa could only be issued in consultation with the immigration bureau of the ministry of justice. So, without the consent of the immigration bureau, the Japanese embassy in Paris was not "able" to issue a visa for Mr. Negri. The ministry of justice/immigration bureau announced that a visa could only be issued if the organizers submitted official documents to prove that Mr. Negri was a political criminal. Mr. Negri had to renounce his visit to Japan, as he was not able to collect all the documents required by the immigration bureau in the short time left until the symposium.
[http://watch08summit.blogspot.com]