WORLD PRESS
RELEASE
FOR GENERAL RELEASE
21 November, 1989
WORLD CITIZEN DAVIS CAN LEAVE JAPAN
SAYS IMMIGRATION ONLY IF US EMBASSY OKS US ENTRY
TOKYO-- In an all-day session with Mr. Shibata, an Immigration official,
World Citizen Garry Davis, former US actor and WWII bomber pilot, tried to convince him
that it was U.S. Immigration that controlled the entry to the US and not the State
Department, and that he had already been admitted many times identified only with his
World Passport which represents the right to "leave any country, including his
own, and to return to his country," of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
But Mr. Shibata said he had to have proof that Davis could re-enter the United
States before he could authorize him leaving Japan. "That means in essence,"
argued Davis, "that you are basing your decision on what another state decides."
"That's correct," said the official. "But that's a violation of article
13(2) of the UDHR," Davis said, "which my passport represents: the right to
leave any country. Also if, by that reasoning the Embassy claims I cannot enter the US,
then I may claim the right to live in Japan as a World Citizen." "No"
replied the official "In that case, we would detain you while you decided to which
country you wanted to go." "But if no country admitted me," Davis
countered, "such detention would have no limit, would be arbitrary, and a violation
of art. 9 of the same Declaration." He showed the official his US voter's
registration card.
Davis's United States passport had been declared "invalid" by the State
Department on two occasions during his last world tour in 1987. The Japanese visa with
which he entered at Osaka on February 7 was on that passport. Davis returned the passport
to the US Embassy on March 8th after writing to Emperor Akihito. The visa expired on May 8
but since Davis no longer possessed the passport, he could not obtain an extension. Also
he pointed out to Mr. Shibata that if Immigration knew that as of May 9th, he was
allegedly illegal in Japan and took no action, while compiling a complete dossier on him
even to the knowledge of the returned passport, that it was tacitly recognizing his right
to remain in Japan as a world citizen. In that case, it should recognize his right to
leave.
Davis has booked a flight on Singapore Airways for Wednesday, November 22nd, the very
last day possible for him to attend his daughter's graduation at the University of Toronto
on Thursday, November 23rd. He is due at a World Government conference also in Toronto the
weekend of the 25th convened by the cyberneticist Stafford Beer.
He and Japanese Immigration now await a decision from the US Embassy in Tokyo.
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