Photo/Illutration Representatives of nongovernmental organizations hold a news conference in Tokyo on July 8 to denounce xenophobia. (Ryuichi Kitano)

Nearly 300 nongovernmental organizations issued a joint statement criticizing xenophobic comments made by candidates in the Upper House election campaign, including the “baseless rumor” that foreigners receive special privileges.

The statement released on July 8 was organized by eight NGOs, including the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (Ijuren) and the Anti-Poverty Campaign. An additional 266 organizations signed on.

At a July 8 news conference, one of the organizers, lawyer Yasuko Morooka, said foreigners are being wrongfully blamed for the high prices of rice and other consumer goods that have led to dissatisfaction among the public.

“Foreigners are being made scapegoats,” she said.

She also said there was no factual basis to rumors that foreigners were receiving special privileges in terms of medical care, pensions and national health insurance.

Ippei Torii, the Ijuren head, said, “Japanese society would not be able to go on without the presence of foreigners.”

The joint statement pointed out that Japan does not even have a basic law guaranteeing the human rights of foreigners. It added that foreigners do not have the right to vote nor the legal right to receive public assistance.

The statement touched on what critics called xenophobic campaign rallies not only in the current Upper House election campaign but also in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election in June.

“Hate speech encouraging xenophobia hurts foreigners and those with foreign roots as well as poses a danger of encouraging confrontation between those of different ethnicities and nationalities,” the statement said.

The statement called on voters to cast their ballots to create a society of coexistence in which everyone has their dignity as humans respected.

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