By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
NARITA, Japan– Since November 4, 2009, Feng Zhenghu has been living at Japan’s Narita International Airport. Feng sleeps on a plastic bench at the airport and survives on crackers and noodles from the airport staff and passengers.
Feng is a Japan-educated Chinese scholar and human rights activist who has been barred from returning to China. Although Feng carries a valid Chinese passport, he has been denied entry into his homeland China eight times since last June.
He last attempted to return to China in November and got as far as Shanghai’s Pudong Airport, but Chinese officials forced him back on the plane to Japan.
Feng Zhenghu at Japan’s Narita Airport. Courtesy of BBC.
Feng said, “I’m a Chinese citizen, and I just want to go back to China. It’s outrageous that I can’t return to my own country.”
China has denied Feng’s re-entry because of his writings on the misconduct of Chinese authorities and for his support of student protests, which have angered the Chinese authorities.
Frustrated, Feng has decided to camp out in Japan’s Narita Airport. He wears a shirt that says “Return to China” in English and spends time on his mobile phone and laptop talking to his supporters and reading the news.
Confined to an area that leads to immigration control, Feng has no access to shops.
Narita Airport’s Security Director Teruhisa Misu commented, “Mr. Feng is camping out at the restricted area where people are not supposed to stay…[w]e worry about his health. It gets colder…and I’m not sure he is getting enough to eat.”
Japanese officials have urged Feng to enter Japan, but he has declined. Chinese officials have not said much regarding Feng’s case, but did insist that Feng be dealt with the relevant Chinese law. Feng has also declined refugee status from the UN. This deadlock can potentially last until June when Feng’s visa expires.
Feng did acknowledge that he knows he is causing trouble for Japan, but has criticized the Chinese government for being responsible for the problem and for not taking steps to resolve his predicament.
He added, “There’s no shower, no bath. It’s very difficult because people stare at me as though I’m a beggar. It’s very, very difficult. It’s very hard to endure psychologically.”
For more information, please see:
BBC – China activist in for long haul at Tokyo airport – 10 December 2009
Guardian – In the next decade, I hope for a spirit of ‘sharism’ – 3 January 2010
The New Zealand Herald – 50 days camped out in an airport – 24 December 2009
