The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling granting refugee status to a 41-year-old Myanmar man and rejected the government's claim he should be deported.
The Lawyers Group for Burmese Refugees in Japan welcomed the decision, saying, "The ruling demonstrated a landmark judgment that may play an important role in forming the foundation for refugee criteria at high courts."
Presiding Judge Shun Iwai said in handing down the ruling that information provided by the Myanmarese Embassy in Tokyo showed there was evident risk the man would be named an antigovernment activist and persecuted if he returned to his homeland.
The court said the man is an executive member of an organization in Japan, which promotes the democratization of Myanmar, and he actively participates in antigovernment rallies.
The man arrived in Japan in January 1993 and applied for refugee status in October 1999, according to the court. His request was rejected and the justice minister in April 2001 issued a deportation order. He then filed suit demanding the order be rescinded.