Sample Letter for Utsubo park and Osaka castle park eviction case

SAMPLE LETTER (made by ACHR, Asian Coalition for Housing Rights)

Mr.Junichi Seki
Mayor of Osaka City
1-3-20, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-si, Japan
Fax: [phone]
http://www.city.osaka.jp/shichoshitsu/iken/index.html
http://www.city.osaka.jp/yutoritomidori/request/index.html

Subject:Forced evictions of homeless people

Dear Mayor,

Please allow me to convey my deep concern regarding the informationon the city government痴 plan to evict some 30 homeless people presiding residing in Utsubo park and Osaka castle park.

Such an act violates the international treaties the government of Japan has signed such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1966, Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1979. etc. It violates as well the 10 March 1993 Resolution of the UN Commission on Human Rights condemning forced evictions as prima facie gross violations of human rights, in particular the right to adequate housing.

Moreover,conducting forced evictions because of some eventslike "World Rose Convention 2006" and "National City Greenery Fair in Osaka" goes against the report byUN Secretary General Kofi Anan in1993 on forced evictions which are often justified because of the holding of an international event such as world fairs, international conferences, global celebrations and others.

As you are well aware of, shelter is intricately connected inter alia to the right to work .Thus it is not enough thatthe government provides a temporary shelter whichis judgedinadequate by homeless people andJapanese civil society organizations and can sometimesbe used laterto condemn the homeless as recalcitrants. It should address the question of unemployment, the main reason why there are homeless people in a highly industrialized and prosperous country like Japan.

We therefore ask your government to:

1.stop theeviction and demolition of the tents of 30 homeless people in Utsubo park and Osaka castle park.

2.consult the affected persons and civil society organizations on the short and long term solutions to the issues ofhomelessnessand unemployment in Osaka City.

We sincerely hope your government will act favorably for thecity痴 homeless.


Sincerely yours,

Name
Organization

CC:

Western Park Office
Fax: [phone]
2-1-4, Utsubohonmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka-si, Japan

Eastern Park Office
Fax: [phone]
3-11, Osakajyo, Chuou-ku, Osaka-si, Japan

City of Osaka Chicago Office
c/o JETRO Chicago
401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 660
Chicago, Illinois
60611 USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
http://www.osakacity.org/office/contactus.aspx

City of Osaka Dusseldorf Office
c/o JETRO Dusseldorf
Konigsallee 58
40212 Dusseldorf
Germany
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

City of Osaka Singapore Office
5 Shenton Way
#37-01 UIC Building
Singapore 068808
Republic of Singapore
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Bureau de Representation
de la Ville d'Osaka a Paris
29, rue des Pyramides
75001 Paris
France
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

City of Osaka Shanghai Office
Room 407, Shanghai International
Trade Center
2200 Yan An Road West
Shanghai, China
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]