Japan offers $3.5 million to help Rohingya boat people

this is a step forward for japan. not the 70 billion in asian bank

Hope Japan can help these people settle in Japan so that Japan does not have to gripe decreasew of population etc anymore.

There are 50 million refugees worldwide and Japan takes how many of those? Talking about ..." Japan is ready to take more responsibility for security on the world" But no, that's not what Abe meant, he wants to play more with guns and soldiers.

There are 50 million refugees worldwide and Japan takes how many of those?

From JT

Japan accepts just 11 asylum seekers from record 5,000 applications in 2014

I'll fix todays headline

Japan offers $3.5 million to help Rohingya boat people to stay away

Gobshite,This is how they deceive the international community, The Japanese officials always say look we are offering money, but they even do not accept the UN recognised refugees. if you are really care you have to accept refugees at home and you have to play a role as a developed nations this is one of the price which you offer as a developed nation to the international community while accept the refugees. The deliberately created obstacles, the red tapism and the rude behaviour of the Japanese officials towards the refugees tells the whole story.

This story is Japan to help fellow Asian evacuees from Myanmar. Nothing about refugees from middle east. Better than refusing these Myanmar boat people. Only $3.5 million but better than nothing. Some people are griping not helping 50 million people but Japan is not responsible to about half of Japanese population hardships somewhere else.

There seems to be quite a few countries between Bangladesh / Myanmar and Japan. Why risk coming all the way round to Japan. At least Japan is giving something but I guess people will always find something to moan about no matter what.

Offer visas

@Moon1: I think people in the world know Japan and Japanese people are not religious. or ignorant of religion. Even they were discriminated by their Buddhism Govt, they chose Japan. They wouldn;t go communism countries. In order to keep their religion and possibly get a job, Japan might be best place to get help? Hope they all get residence visa and adults can getjobsin labor hungry factories or business. Schools for children, I heard there are Moslem Mosques in many cities in Japan.

If Japan accept them, not only 700s come 2million will come. They don't have any skill to work also could not speak Japanese. What can they do in Japan. They should go to England,the country that made them as refugees.

nuiichi has a strong point except where he says england the country that made them. in fact its good how japan is providing help, but accepting refugees its easy for u all siting on ur chair to say lets get 2 million. not many people have seen what impact it has to accept a massive amount of migrants or what it does to culture of the local economy as people want to spend outside goods rather than inside the country. migrants r willing to come in, eat and get out

Soon will see all this boats, full with Rohingya, off the coast of Fukushima.

They fon/t need to know Japanese to work for Japanese factories. Automated factories in Japan. Have to know how to push button. Go to UK? are they offering 3,5 million dollars? These people came to Japan. Will there be 2 million siscriminated Myanmar moslem people? JT did not mention England is Asianic people's cpimtry or have bunch of automated factories.

@toshiko, sorry but I disagree with you. Why should they get visa and jobs? Then how about the other 2 billion people in the world that are dying of hunger or caught in wars? should Japan also give visa and jobs to them as well? certainly we could all cut on our living standards, eat less sushi, cycle and give our cars, and so on so we would have more money to give to these poor countries. Is this your theory?

How about instead we do not give them any visa or jobs, and instead of bringing them here we help them by teaching them how to create a democratic society, fight corruption, learn religious tolerance, and so on.

This way they can live in their own country without having to burden the entire Japanese population with the usual issue of integration, language barrier, cultural difference, etc.

It's this kind of 'hypocrite selflessness' that creates the problems that Italy is having now with hordes of clandestine. I say 'hypocrite' because while you are on this forum professing that Japan should welcome them at the same time it likely you spend a lot of money on useless things you don't need. So, start from yourself! Send them your money. Instead, you should go in their country and help them. It's too easy to say 'the government should do this and that'.

sorry but I disagree with you. Why should they get visa and jobs?

No-one is suggesting that Japan takes thousands or millions of refugees, but only accepting 11 is pretty pathetic.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan remained committed to helping national reconciliation efforts on various fronts in Asia

Really? More like let's throw money at something to make it look like reconciliation in the media. In reality no real effort made at all.

In reality no real effort made at all.

What did your country do for Rohingya people then? Japan is paying huge money to UN in relation to Japan's GDP. Isn't this UN job to begin with? Why do you complain Japan?

Japan is only trying to buy it's way into membership of the UN Security council.

Japan is only trying to buy it's way into membership of the UN Security council.

Is it on sale? So you admit Japan pays huge money beyond its GDP size to UN, and blame Japan for the contribution because trying to buy membership? You seem to want to blame Japan no matter what. How about refusing the money? Japanese people are not living in luxury and need the money for themselves..

Millions are starving in Africa..

Why should Japan take any refugees when there are Japanese people homeless and sleeping in parks and under bridges. Look after your own people first!

These people came to Japan. Doesn;t Japan complaining population declining? Work Visa would be nice. Now, 2 billion people ..... it is not Japanese fault to take responsibility. Maybe you want to help them. Africa? It is not near Japan Myanmar is in Asia and Africa is not in Asia.

Toshiko

Myanmar (and surrounding countries) DO NOT want these Muslim people!

Are you sure Japan WANTS THOUSANDS of Muslims????

You must be an exception because the majority of Japanese people I speak to do not want them.

And there's one right here next to me, saying NO!

I hope these people can be helped. We are living in dark times; global economic crisis is making countries always more selfish. Mass migration is a huge problem, but many people don't want to face it. See what is happening in the EU. Many countries in the EU basically are saying to my country (Italy) that we have to keep all the migrants in our territory just because they arrived in it. It's obvious they arrived here and not in Sweden for example, we are very close to Africa! But this doesn't mean it's right that the rest of EU abandons us like that. The situation in Italy is basically out of control. I lost any hope in humanity.

What did your country do for Rohingya people then? Japan is paying huge money to UN in relation to Japan's GDP. Isn't this UN job to begin with? Why do you complain Japan?

Tina, let's compare Overseas Development Aid for 2013 (Japan's included a $2BN debt write off for Burma/Myanmar) as a percentage of Gross National Income (OECD data). Let's also see the total numbers of refugees (UNHCR data):

Japan 2013 ODA: US$11.8 BN (0.23% of GNI); total number of refugees in the country: 2,560

Ireland 2013 ODA: US$822 M (0.45% of GNI); total number of refugees in the country: 5,853

Sweden 2013 ODA: US$5.8 BN (1.02% of GNI); total number of refugees in the country: 142,207

@Peeping Tom: Japanese people couldn;t care less if other people are Christians, Jewish, Catholic, Moslem. When Hitler asked to kill Jewish people in Manchuria, Matsuoka arranged Jewish people moved to Japan. Then even feudal era, Shogunate created Nagasaki as Christian area. So, Moslem people will not be discriminated same way Catholir and Christina people are not discriminated. Don;t you notice Catholic churches and Christiian churches in japan?

seadog:

Why should Japan take any refugees when there are Japanese people homeless and sleeping in parks and under bridges. Look after your own people first!" well said brother. japan needs to help their own people first before geting abroad

Toshiko,,

You personally may not mind.

Lots of of other Japanese I know are decidedly against it.

And that includes my girlfriend, a Japanese woman not "scared" of foreigners, or we would not have lasted for over than a decade together!

We do happen to live in London where there are thousands of Muslims. We go to France regularly; there are thousands of Muslims there too.

Have you read the news recently?

If you don't mind thousands of them in Japan then "Ergo te Saluto"!

@peeping Tom: Sounds you are hoping Japan to get rid of none Shinto None Buddhism people out of Japan. Japan might love your wish to get rid of Christians and Catholics. Read constitution and digest articles about freedom of religion.

Japan is not against Christians and Catholics. Same way not against Moslem. They are all none Japanese religions. Just because some none Japanese religion believers want to disctiminate another none Japanese type religion to dictate Japanese helping boat people will not succeed.

Toshiko,

I don't live in Japan.

Fortunately I never will, despite the fact I might end up very old next to a Japanese woman.

Your idealism is not supported by lots of Japanese I know, and who are seeing first hand what large Muslim populations do to a non-Muslim country that takes them.

You may find yourself very lonely in your "quest" of a Japan populated by thousands of Muslims.

And that would not affect me one bit, rest assured.

I don't live in Japan.

Your idealism is not supported by lots of Japanese I know

Japanese outside of Japan are not representative of Japanese who have not left Japan. Only a particular type of Japanese person ever leaves the country.

Peeping Tom:

Myanmar (and surrounding countries) DO NOT want these Muslim people!

What do you propose... Srebrenica?

You may find yourself very lonely in your "quest" of a Japan populated by thousands of Muslims.

Japan has 100,000 Muslims, all no doubt devastated that you won't be coming to live here.

SenseNotSoCommon

Maybe Japan would be devastated if you left?

You also forgot to paste the rest from where you copied your info.

"The true size of the Muslim population in Japan remains a matter of speculation. Some Muslim organizations and media reports have put the number of Muslims in Japan at roughly 100,000, but that is probably an exaggerated estimate. The most serious work on this question has been done by Japanese scholars such as Hiroshi Kojima of the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research and Keiko Sakurai of Waseda University. Their estimates suggest a Muslim population of around 70,000, of which perhaps 90% are resident foreigners and about 10% native Japanese"

Lastly, I am very happy in my own country.

You, on the other? Why did you leave anyway?

I have never read or heard of any hatred from the Japanese to the muslim population. Japanese schools and workplaces have not expressed problems with the Muslim tradition of women wearing headscarves.

Me neither. Literally, not even once. I don't doubt that there are people here who are anti-Muslim, but whomever they are, I haven't met/talked to them.

Zichi

If that's how you wanna play it, game on!

The same could be asked of you,enne?

I am the only one who does not intend to leave. Ever!

Also, I like to play chicken. I already knew when I wrote from the start to Toshiko something like "lonely with thousands of Muslims in Japan", that there aren't thousands of Muslims in Japan!

Unlike some who pluck figures out of Wiki, I prefer other sources. Always.

"There is no reliable estimate on the Japanese Muslim population. Claims of thirty thousand are without doubt an exaggeration. Some claim that there are only a few hundred. This probably amounts to the number of Muslims openly practicing Islam. Asked to give an estimate on the actual number of Muslims in Japan, Abu Bakr Morimoto replied, "To say frankly, only one thousand. In the broadest sense, I mean, if we do not exclude those who became Muslims for the sake of, say marriage, and do not practice then the number would be a few thousands." Apparently such a slow development is due partly to external circumstances. Japanese traditional religious atmosphere and highly developed materialistic tendencies must both be taken into consideration."

http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/japan.htm

And there are lots of sources, if yer really interested.

Of course you are going to counter that "Japan does not compute Muslims properly", yadda yadda yadda!

I am not interested in that, unless you show credible sources to back that up.

Do you see thousands of Muslims and their influences in Japan, just like the ones I see here in old Blighty?!

I don't need to live in Japan in order to know the answer.

Feel free to tell otherwise. Some might believe you.

Zichi,

I travel a lot. Lots of it actually.

I have been everywhere in Western Europe; go the US every single year; been to 5 African countries.

Don't plan/want to live anywhere other than in London!

Were you saying anything about travelling to broaden my mind, or something like that?

We met at the UCL; she came over here to study, only stayed because of me, but have tried unsuccessfully to drag the Peeping over to live in Japan. It ain't gonna happen!

And why are you sticking with the phantom lower 70,000 figure, ignoring my link which states probably a thousand?

Just indulge me!

Sense

Please, help this poor ignorant decipher your rather complex table!

Where is the mention of Muslim populations on that table?

I can't see it anywhere! Do I need to wear some bins, or what?

"Game over"

Is this what your lot said to the Sioux?

"Actually, there are thousands whether its the lower figure of 70,000 or the higher figure of 100,000 that would still make "thousands."

I sent you a link putting that figure at about a thousand!

And why does Myanmar not want them and Japan should accept them???

I sent you a link putting that figure at about a thousand!

There are over 50,000 foreign residents of Japan from Muslim countries. Do you really think only 1/50 of them are Muslim? It doesn't show much critical thinking if you do.

Zichi

Are dead Muslims counted as well???

I did not have anything to do with the conclusions reached on that link.

All you have to do is post another link discrediting that one.

I am not interested in dead Muslims, or how many alive ones you think there are!

Also, if the Brits are somehow responsible for this mess, how can this tally with your 1,000 years thing?

Zichi

Obviously the BBC would say that!

They are good Brits! Just like you and I it would seem!

Britain responsible for this mess by bring these people from Bengal to Myanmar?

O course NOT!!! NEVER.

Why don't they welcome them as immigrants to Japan after assessment & strict documentation? If they can boost declining population and contribute to economy, it might be a better investment then just handing over money.

@coconut: I read that they use money to feed and give clothes first. Japan is always sly on money so Japan help does not mean give money. That is why Japan get accused not helping refugees, Japan used to send food to N Korea but it is stopped now.