Japan Ends Fingerprinting of Many Non-Japanese
By JAMES STERNGOLD,
Published: May 21, 1992
After years of bitter protests and debate, the Parliament passed a bill today that will eliminate routine fingerprinting of permanent foreign residents, a practice that many non-Japanese have regarded as a humiliating symbol of government-sanctioned discrimination.
While the news was welcomed by many foreigners, especially the Korean residents who will be the principal beneficiaries, many insisted the bill leaves in place an extensive system of unfair controls on non-Japanese residents.
For instance, foreign residents can still be arrested if they are found without their alien registration cards, or face criminal prosecution if they fail to report changes of address or jobs to the Government within two weeks. Permanent foreign residents, many of whose families have been in Japan for generations, also complained that they would still be denied the right to work for the Government or to vote.
"I'm pleased with this change, but if you look at other elements of the law, you will find it still includes many forms of discrimination," said Sohn Chung In, an official of the Korean Residents Union of Japan. "This is a step forward, but not a change in the society."...
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