Coastal whaling: Japan's double standard on indigenous people
Posted by Dave (at the last day of the International Whaling Commission, in Anchorage, Alaska)
Yesterday at the IWC, the debate on the Japanese resolution for coastal whaling took place. There's been no agreement in the request for such a programme, so the vote has been put off until later today.
It's at once interesting, unsurprising and alarming that Japanese delegation is now making no secret of the fact that that coastal whaling is a form for commercial whaling. Yet, they're also trying to claim it's no different from Aboriginal Subsistence whaling as practised by indigenous people in Russia, Alaska and Greenland. They want to have their whalemeat and eat it, so to speak.
"What's wrong with commercial whaling?", asked the Japanese commissioner, Joji Morishita.
Well, for a start, there's been a moratorium - i.e. a ban - on commercial whaling since 1986, a ban which was upheld earlier today, in a majority vote. That's what's wrong with commercial whaling...
Worse - the Japanese delegation are displaying considerable hypocrisy in their attempt to claim empathy with the principle of Aboriginal rights. For the last decade, the United Nations has repeatedly requested the government of Japan to recognise the rights of Japan's own indigenous people - the Ainu - in the north of Japan. Japan not only fails to recognise the rights of the Ainu - it doesn't even recognise the existence of the Ainu.
Update: In the face of great opposition during this afternoon's debate, the Japanese commissioner finally withdrew the proposal for coastal whaling in a fit of pique, and threatened to leave the IWC.
Comments
Come on, Dave!
How can you be writing this. The Japanese delegation certainly didn't try to present Japanese coastal whaling as a form of aboriginal subsistence whaling as you say. That's pure misleading stuff from you.
A for the Ainu, there is a Law for the Promotion of the Ainu Culture and for the Dissemination and Advocacy for the Traditions of the Ainu and the Ainu Culture (1997) which recognizes the Ainu culture, eventhough it fails to recognize Ainu people's indigenous rights.
As for the moratorium on commercial whaling, you know well that it is a temporary measure by definition. But then, you don't really care, do you? What is important to you is people believing you and donating, isn't it?
Posted by: isanatori | June 2, 2007 7:07 AM
Isanatori - on the contrary, the Japanese delegation went to greath lengths to equate their coastal whaling with aboriginal subsistence whaling!
Here's an example from the media:
"The Japanese delegation had argued that four coastal communities should be allowed the same status as that given to aboriginal whalers in Alaska, Russia and Greenland."
Japan 'may quit' world whaling body »
Posted by: Dave | June 5, 2007 4:15 AM