JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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In an OECD survey of 36 nations on people's perceptions of their living conditions, Japan ranked 21st in terms of quality of life; Australia, Norway and the U.S. were the top 3. What do you think of that?
( 12 )
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The Fukuoka mayor is banning public servants from drinking alcohol for a month; the Osaka mayor has declared war on tattoos on civil servants. What do you think of all this?
( 21 )
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Why do you think Facebook's stock failed to live up to the hype in its trading debut?
( 13 )
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Which sport, when played well, do you think is the most exciting to watch?
( 62 )
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What's the difference between an average burger and a great one?
( 12 )
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- Business Teaching Positions - Part-time - Kanto Region
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥3,000 ~ ¥5,000 / Hour
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- National Relief/Substitute Teacher - summer start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥275,000 ~ ¥300,000 / Month
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- 営業パーソン
- 加治金属工業株式会社, Tochigi
- Salary: ¥240,000 ~ ¥350,000 / Month Negotiable
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27 Comments
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Weasel
Why should diplomats be exempt from the same rules in a foreign nation their countrymen and women are not?
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Molenir
Yes
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smartacus
I have never understood the concept of diplomatic immunity. All it does is give embassy personnel the right to commit crimes with impunity, while I am subject to the laws of the country I am residing in. What's the logic behind it?
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Okinawamike
Yes also.
"Why should diplomats be exempt from the same rules in a foreign nation their countrymen and women are not"?
Really? How easy would it be to jack up someones kid in "fill the country" and say he/she stole a candy bar and his/her hand must be cut off per the laws of our land?
The loudest bitching I've heard about diplomatic immunity, is people not paying their parking tickets in New York, not just a diplomatic immunity problem.
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some14some
Disagree (strongly) !
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Papigiulio
I think everybody already said it. WHY? what is the purpose. disagree period.
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nisegaijin
absolutely not!
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asahi_man
Why should they get special treatment? Everyone should be treated equal, just coz you're a diclomat shouldnt intitle you to immunity.
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ratpack
Depends if I'm the diplomat!!!!
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koriyamaboy
no way!
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bubzabub
As someone who has it, I have to say a million yesses.
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porter
What is the point of it? They can park anywhere?
Diplomats also don't have to pay consumption tax.
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m5c32
No.
However, I think it should only apply to high level diplomats (let's say not more than 10% of represented country staff)--it avoids silly diplomatic games. I mean, it ensures that despite possible disagreements btwn the gov'ts that the business of diplomacy can carry on. And that diplomats do not get used as power play pawns for small disagreements.
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limboinjapan
The answer is not so black and white.
I guess you can say yes and no.
Yes certain Embassy personnel and their families should have it in order to avoid certain countries form taking them hostage when they want to put pressure on another by using trumped up charge (just think how a certain country recently having a hissy fit about Japan could have done had they been able to grab Embassy worker and not just regular worker as a bargaining chip).
But at the same time.
No for being exempt from having to obtain the correct insurance for cars and other damage that its personnel may cause or for not being responsible when a real crime is committed.
Perhaps there should be levels of immunity and some sort of agreement on prosecution or compensation in the event of a crime or accident.
For example in the case of a serious crime the countries of the offen+ding party would be responsible to try the offender and punish them for a set of predetermine agreed upon offences and if found guilty that country would be responsible to pay any compensation to the victims.
Other things that should only be covered if on official embassy business for example only a set predetermined number of cars should be allowed diplomatic status and those cars should also be insured in accordance with local laws and would be exempt from standard traffic violations ONLY if on official Embassy work (not shopping in Akihabara and parking just any place they please).
Several years ago my ex-father in law while driving near Akihabara had his car was hit by a car with diplomatic plates, the car was a piece of junk with already several dents in it and belonged to a "developing" nation's Embassy staff they just drove off and the police couldn't do anything they had no insurance it took a few years and a lot of time for him to finally be partially compensated by the Japanese government, in such cases as these, immunity should not apply they should still have to have the same issuance as others this has nothing to do with diplomacy and furthers resentment of foreigner in many countries.
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mareo2
In the old days some diplomats were executed and their heads sent back to their countries. Looking to the "anything goes" reaction of some repressive countries, without diplomatic immunity we can run out of diplomats quite fast.
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my2sense
NO. Its abused in the US and UK.
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pointofview
I thought everyone was equal...
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Monkeyz
Having seen enough TV programs of the Law&Order variety where the cops are stuck because the criminal is an ambassador or related to one ... well, it doesn't seem like a good idea in some cases. I realize it could be a slippery slope to having diplomats arrested and used as bargaining chips, but there should at least be some rules.
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trulymadlyfukai
No, because the kids of these diplomatic staff often behave like spoilt brats in the host country and commit crimes that they know they can't be arrested for.
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HermioneGranger
No. If you do the crime, do the time. Because you are a diplomat, this should make you MORE accountable (as a representative of your country) if anything.
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Icewind007
I think the law should be kept and refined. There are things diplomats should not get away with and other things that can be acceptable. It is up to this "diplomatic immunity" to state which is OK.
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RIPFT
It is for the host nation to decide with which countries it wants to maintain diplomatic relations. Nobody forces them to have a foreign embassy on their soil if they do not consider it worth giving the immunity. Without it would be regular occurrence to have diplomats getting arrested for espionage or some other crime (true or made up).
On the other hand, the other country has the right either the waive the immunity or recall the diplomat and put him on trial under their own laws.
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glycol57
I think it is necessary - even if it doesn't always taste very good.
Every "diplomatic mission" (including Japans) exists as much to do certain kinds of spying, business and persuasion as to be a nanny service to troubled tourists. Missions are an extention of realpolitik into someone elses territory - and realpolitik isn't anything like the diluted honey-flavored politics you see in the news, it's how things ACTUALLY get done. It's ruthless and dangerous.
As such, nobody would DO the job if they were completely vulnerable to local laws and political machinations.
Every country understands the value of their diplomatic missions and has been willing to treat other nations missions as small squares of the foreign state and the diplomats as legally untouchable. It's an arrangement that serves everyones interests.
Diplomats caught dirty however CAN be expelled. Diplomats who do REALLY bad things, especially if they are 'personal' offenses, may sometimes be abandoned to the justice of the host country. So, it's not as if they're totally immune under every circumstance.
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lovejapan21
No, not in this day and age.
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Eyeblack
Yes and no.
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lostrune2
Remember, an embassy is considered foreign soil, so regardless of local laws, anybody within the embassy cannot be subject to local laws. Any diplomat can just run over there.
But it's reciprocal by participating countries. A host country is only doing it so that its own diplomats on foreign lands also won't be subject to local laws. No country would want to give that up, no matter how much a country wants to prosecute another country's diplomat.
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Foxie
Of course. It is very convenient to have. You never have to wait anywhere once you show your diplomatic passport even when that means only changing your car tires. Too bad not everybody can have it.
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