Japan: Lawmakers begin weighing bill to sanction Uyghur human rights abuses
"Japan eyes US-style law to sanction Uighur human rights abuses", 12 Nov 2020
As China faces growing criticism for its treatment of Uighur Muslims, Japan has begun weighing a legal foundation for sanctions like those imposed by the U.S. and Europe, with implications for Japanese companies that might be unknowingly contributing to the problem...
As awareness of the issue grows, the Japanese government has been fielding questions from domestic companies that operate in China about Tokyo's official policy and whether doing business in Xinjiang could run afoul of it...
There have been moves toward creating a Japanese version of the Magnitsky Act. The Japan Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of lawmakers from across party lines, are now discussing submitting a bill to parliament.
Some within Japan's National Security Secretariat, as well as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, also agree on the need for new legislation...
Japan's current legal framework does not easily allow for economic sanctions based on human rights concerns alone. The government can freeze assets of foreign players or ban them from entering the country, but only under specific circumstances like abiding by United Nations resolutions...
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