Support Zilan’s family! Please sign on petition

Zilan, a three years old girl, lives in Kawaguchi-city, Saitama prefecture. Her mother, Ms. Beltran comes from the Philippines. Her father, Mr.Taskin, comes from Turkey, while his origin is Kurdish. Her parents met and married in Japan. The family communicate with each other in the Japanese.

Kurdish people have suffered from cruel oppression in Turkey for a long time. Mr. Taskin came to Japan when he was 17 years old, fleeing from his forced military service in Turkey. If he had served for the Turkish military, he himself would have had to join persecution of the Kurdish, his own people. He may be arrested or tortured if he goes back to Turkey, so he has been applying for refugee status in Japan since December 2000.

On the other hand, Ms. Beltran was raised in a strict Christian community in the Philippines. She is rejected from her family and church in her homeland after marrying with Taskin, whose religion is Islam. Also, the Philippine government has instituted suppressive “Anti-Terrorist” policy after September 11th 2001, and many muslim communities in the Philippines are affected by it. Now illegal arrest and compulsory deportation of muslim are quite common. Seeing this situation of her mother country, Beltran has tried to apply for refugee status since 2003, with her daughter, Zilan.

On January 28th 2004 (it was just two days before Zilan’s three years birthday), the family was called to come to Tokyo Immigration Office. The officer issued them compulsory deportation order---for Taskin to Turkey, for Beltran and Zilan to the Philippines. The family was broken up. And, all of the family member were detained in Migrant Office. Just after a while, only Zilan was sent to a children’s welfare clinic in Saitama prefecture. Beltran’s sister, living in Saitama prefecture took over Zilan soon, but poor little girl was crying for mother through the night, and she could not eat enough. Imagine, how painful and confusing
experience it was for three year old child to be separated from her parents.

Beltran became sick and temporarily released on March 18th, and Taskin also released on May 25th, because his hernia has worsened from the bad conditions in the Immigration Office. After four months, finally the family got together. However, the release of the couple were temporary one, so they might be detained anytime again. The family still live under uneasy condition.

In March 2004, another couple of a Burmese and a Filipina, the Kim Maugh Latt family, got a special permission to stay in Japan from the Minister of Justice. This is the similar case as Zilan’s family. In both cases, the family cannot go back their own countries because of its political situation.

Japan is the only place for all the family member to livetogether securely. We, as supporting group of the family, started petition campaign calling for special permission to stay for them. As of the end of May 2004, we gathered more than 4000 signatures including some from overseas. Please support Zilan’s family with your signature!

Contact to:
Support committee for Zilan’s family
C/o CJFF( Center for Japanese Filipino Children)
#32 Japan Christian Center 2-3-18 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
tel/fax. 03-3209-2439
E-mail: <zilan-petition@ma.0038.net>

Donation is much appreciated!
Postal remittance account (Yubin-Furikae-Koza) 00190-4-561196
The name of account owner (Meigi) KAFINE

*PLEASE WRITE “ZILAN” AT MESSAGE SPACE.

A petition for Zilan and her family

Mr. NOZAWA, Taizo
The Chief Examiner of Immigration office
Ministry of Justice
Tokyo, Japan

We are requesting your honor to give humanitarian consideration to Taskin, a Kurdish with Turkish nationality, who was detained in the Immigration
office of Tokyo as well as for his wife and child. We are appealing to take the following measures:

1. Please withdraw the deportation order by which the family would be separated and exposed to the danger of life.
2. Please give the family the special permission for residence that allows them to live in safety together.

*Please send this form to the following address:

Support Committee for Zilan’s family
C/o CJFF(Center for Japanese Filipino Family)
#32 Japan Christian Center
2-3-18 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
tel./fax. 03-3209-2439
E-mail: <zilan-chan@ma.0038.net>