WORLD PRESS
RELEASE
FOR GENERAL RELEASE
1200 h, 14 November, 1989
WORLD CITIZEN GARRY DAVIS TWICE
REFUSED PERMISSION
TO LEAVE JAPAN BY JAPANESE IMMIGRATION
Immigration "Advises" China
Airlines Not To Issue Davis Boarding Pass;
Tells The World Coordinator To Report To Otemachi as "Alien"
TOKYO-- At Haneda Airport Monday evening, Garry Davis, armed with his World
Passport, presented himself for departure for the second time on China Airlines Flight 018
for Honolulu The Japan Airlines official, representing the Taiwan airline, informed the
World Coordinator, that Japanese Immigration officials had "advised" them not to
issue a boarding pass. When Davis protested that as a private carrier, it was not
obligated to obey an "advice" from immigration but was only concerned with
whether the passenger could disembark, the official said that the so-called advice was
tantamount to an order.
Immigration officials at the airport once again "advised" Davis to report to
the Otemachi headquarters of Immigration as they claimed that as an "alien" he
"overstayed" a 90 day tourist visa.
Davis' original Japanese 90 day visa was affixed on a U.S. passport the State
Department had declared "invalid" two years prior. The department, however, made
no attempt either to retrieve the passport or to prosecute Davis for having obtained it.
Davis returned the passport to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on 8 March this year.
"The issue raised by this absurd situation is fundamental to people
everywhere," Davis said from his Nakano office today. "It concerns the freedom
of political choice as well as the right to travel. Both are sanctioned by articles in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"Since the Immigration Department is now caught in a dilemma in that it doesn't
know how to cope with an individual who claims to be a world citizen, it has irresponsibly
passed the buck to China Airlines. I reject categorically this arbitrary and feckless
decision, a collusion between China Airlines and Japanese Immigration. In 1984, the same
Immigration refused me entry into Japan because I was identified only with the World
Passport. Today, it prevents me from leaving knowing I am still identified with the same
passport! The irrationality is manifest.
"Furthermore, to arbitrarily refuse me permission to leave is to violate the right
of freedom of travel which our passport alone represents. I cannot concede that Emperor
Akihito himself accepts such a fundamental violation by his lower level officials. Another
irony is that we have been issuing this passport for over 6 months from our Nakano office
to residents of Japan already in alleged violation of immigration laws in order for them
to remain here. Now that the Immigration Department is forcing me to remain here, does
that mean that all others who have our passport can also remain in Japan
indefinitely?"
Davis intends to inform the Emperor by letter of this latest development. If he does
not receive confirmation from the Immigration Departure of his right to leave Japan within
the next 48 hours, he intends to present himself at the Imperial Palace to await a
decision from His Imperial Majesty.
"I must be in Toronto the weekend of the 25th for a meeting with organizers of the
forthcoming World Government Constitutional Convention in Christchurch, September
18," Davis said today. "Both the Emperor and all members of the lower house of
the Diet have been informed of this historic event. Though I sincerely regret this
decision, it appears that I am obliged to force the issue by appealing to the highest
authority in Japan" (Letters appended)
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