Shinji Noma

How and when did you first get involved in Amnesty's work? I became a member of Amnesty in 1988 when I came back to Hiroshima to help at my father's company. Though I had joined peace campaigns in my university days, I found it difficult to continue with them while working. In addition, I became more interested in working for human rights than for peace at that time. Through my friends at university, I heard about the great work Amnesty International was doing and fortunately I found an AI group in Hiroshima.

What was it that attracted you to Amnesty's work in the beginning? Presumably there were other groups active in Japan at the time. Why Amnesty?

The impartiality of AI activities attracted me especially. There is still a leftish atmosphere in civic campaigns in Japan and so many people were reluctant to criticize human rights abuse in USSR, China, North Korea, and so on. People can't choose the country where they are born. Human rights are to be universally acknowledged, as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights indicates. I can't agree with restricting criticism of human rights abuse to some particular countries and ignoring others. At the moment it seems that the US is applying such a double standards.

I felt the limits of the peace movement in Japan then, and I thought human rights work would eventually contribute to peace. Wars never happen without human rights violations. So the issues of human rights and peace are bound together. I think that AI's work is one method to prevent wars.In addition, I knew that AI made a great contribution to improve the human rights situation in many countries. That's why I chose Amnesty.

Before I ask you more questions about Amnesty could you tell us something about your background?

Well, my hometown is Fuchu-cho, which although isn't technically Hiroshima, is surrounded by Hiroshima-city. I grew up and lived here except for 6 years away in Osaka when I was a student. I still live in Fuchu-cho with my wife and a Shiba - a cute Japanese dog. I have been fan of Hiroshima Carp since my childhood, and remember my big joy at its first championship of Central league in 1975 and of Japan's series in 1979. Now the professional baseball in Japan doesn't attract me because Yomiuri Giants buy all the good players and got the championship in 2002. Just like Manchester United or New York Yankees? I also like watching movies and playing Shogi- Japanese chess. As for cinema, my favorite directors are Ken Loach, Lasse Hallstrom, and Zhang Yimou. I am a member of Hiroshima Cinema Circle. As for Shogi, I haven't recently played it, but I used to go Hiroshima Shogi Center at Hacchobori. It helps me to think logically!

I have been working at my father's company since April 1988, but I couldn't but change my lifestyle after his death in 1992. I became the president taking over his responsibilities, and managed to solve many problems. This happened just after the end of "Bubble" boom, I had to concentrate on the management of the company, paying a huge amount of inheritance tax, and finding a way to deal with tremendous debts. So I couldn't do anything about Amnesty for several years. Yet this was also a valuable experience to me. I have changed the business in 2000, so I could lessen the burden on me. Now I'm trying to get the qualification of Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

What did you do at university?

I majored in modern Japanese History at university,and took the master's degree. The subject of my Master's thesis was the 1940 National Eugenic Act proclaimed in. That act was based on the Nazi Sterlization Act of 1933. I got to know a mentally hadicapped person in my neighbourhood and this got me interested in the affairs of the mentally hadicapped. I think my university days, from 1982 to 1988, influenced on my way of thinking considerably.

I can remember visiting the Greenham Common US air base in England which was famous for womens' action against nukes, the journey to villages and slums in Thailand, working as a volunteer at Kamagasaki in Osaka where there are many homeless people and day laborers, just like Sanya in Tokyo, and so on. They were important experiences for me.

I think many of us find it easier to be enagaged social and political issues when we are students but it is hard to balance activism with making a living! To come back to Amnesty can you remember your first Amnesty campaigns?

Amnesty International Japan was established in 1970, and AI Hiroshima group in 1987. I joined it in 1988.I remember that at that time AI Japan focused on human rights issues, especially Prisoners of Conscience, in South Korea, South Africa, and East Timor. Prisoners of Conscience means those who have been detained for their beliefs or because of their ethnic origin, sex, colour or language who have not used or advocated violence. Other members and I sent many letters to the authorities of each country appealing for their release.

Have there been specific campaigns and issues that especially engaged or moved you?

The most impressive case was a prisoner of conscience in USSR. He was arrested for his conscientious refusal to do military service, and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. I remember that the Hiroshima group, a group in England and one in Finland adopted this case by the request of International Secretariat in London in 1989. We continued writing letters to Soviet authorities for his release.

I was glad to know that he was released (with some conditions). The most surprising thing was that I heard from him himself! We didn't usually expect any replies from USSR at that time. I could feel the change of USSR through his letter. He expressed his gratitude to me and other AI members. This case was so rare as for USSR that it was featured in the program on Radio Japan. I've still kept his letters and the material about his case.

What kind of things have the Japanese members and specifically the Hiroshima group been involved in? In practical terms what are people doing?

Amnesty Hiroshima hasn't only written letters but also held some events concerning human rights. For example, we have hosted lectures by scholars, journalists, those who had been tortured or faced the death penalty for on false charges. Besides this we have been doing fund-raising activities,holding the Amnesty Benefit Concerts, joining festivals to sell Amnesty goods and so on. Last year we invited a Tibetan nun, who had been tortured by Chinese authorities, as a speaker. In 2001 we invited two Afghan refugees who lived in Pakistan. As that rally was held a few months after 11 September,many people got together to listen to their speech.Now our group has been doing the campaign for the release of Mordechai Vanunu who was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for leaking secrets on nuclear weapons in Israel. I have been exchanging letters with him since 1999. I hope that more people in Hiroshima will be interested in him. He wrote to me that he decided to do that in order to stop a Hiroshima in the Middle East. The more I exchanged letters with him, the more I became interested in the situation of Israel and Palestine.

As for 2003, Amnesty International has launched Russia campaign, so Hiroshima group will follow it or hold some events concerning human rights. The crisis of Iraq is one of important issues. Anyway, we'll discuss about This year's theme at the new year meeting.

Some people might be wondering about the human rights situation here in Japan. Recent Amnesty reports on Japan have been fairly critical. I know that to maintain impartiality and for safety concerns local Amnesty groups do not directly work on cases at home but would you like to make a personal comment on how you see the rights situation here?

You mention AI's policy on working in one's own country. That's a good point. In fact that policy has gradually been revised. Of course, we cannot adopt a specific case in our own country, but we can do the work concerning the death penalty, tortures, Daiyo-Kangoku (Substitute Prison) system, refugee recognition system, and so on. Last year I and my friends established the group as an individual basis to support an Afghan asylum seeker who was arrested for illegal entry. While we did the activities for him, AI adopted his case last October. He was released provisionally just after AI launched the action. This is an example of bottom-up approach.

As the UN Human Rights Committee pointed out, there are many problems concerning human rights in Japan besides the issues AI can deal with. The discrimination against Buraku people, mental defectives, ethnic minorities, for example Korean people and Ainu people in Hokkaido, and so on, still exists.

Why do you think that young people in Hiroshima, especially university students,seem so uninterested in important issues like human rights? How do you think a group like Amnesty might encourage young people to get more involved?

I cannot blame young people because they are reflections of adults. I doubt that many adults have the qualification to criticize them. As you know, Japan has been under long recession. Bad bank loans have accumulated tremendously, and Japanese government is on the verge of bankruptcy because of the huge weight of national debt. The present figure of Japan is just like "the father who has eaten and drunk much borrowing money with childrens' future income as collateral". It is quite natural that the more adults become self-centered the more children become so. I don't think that only high-sounding ideas can attract young people.I want to show various factual stories from all over the world to young people, especially ones not seen in the mass media, and to create opportunities for discussion.

Lastly, do you have any message for readers who might be interested in the Hiroshima Amnesty group in 2003?

We don't only discuss about human rights but also talk about other topics at the monthly meetings. If you feel that you don't have many friends to discuss social issues with, please join us. You may make new friends though not so many AI members can speak English well. Even if you don't become a member, we would be very grateful if you joined our meetings, lectures, or any other events. Why don't we "Light a candle rather than curse the darkness"? This Chinese proverb is the source of Amnesty's logo.

Shinji, thanks very much for taking time to talk with us.

Amnesty International | Amnesty Japan

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