Buraku Liberation News September 1999 No.110

Couple Breaks Up before Marriage due to Buraku Discrimination.

The BLL Nagano held a series of fact-finding and denunciation sessions over discrimination in marriage occurring in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture.
A young woman, of Buraku origin, was subject to discrimination by her fiance and family. 

Right after Ms. X, then 24, began to go around with Mr. Y, then 26, her colleague, she acknowledged to him that she was of Buraku origin. Later they became engaged and made reservations for their wedding ceremony. However, after the family members of Mr. Y became aware of Ms. X's origin, they started to oppose the marriage. Mr. Y also changed his attitude. He tried three times to postpone a meeting of the two families for the purpose of getting acquainted. In the end, the couple broke up in April 1997.

At a denunciation session held on 10 May 1999, Ms. X said that she wanted Mr. Y not to discriminate against anyone else, and she would never forgive being discriminated against. The participants of the session tried to know and denounce the discriminatory way of thinking of Mr. Y and his parents who think that marrying a Buraku person would be an obstacle to living in their community and working at their workplace.

Suzaka City's officials admitted that their efforts of human rights education were insufficient and expressed that they would review the measures for human rights education intended for the citizens. When the BLL Nagano closed the session, they suggested that every citizens continue efforts to overcome the discriminatory way of thinking existing in daily life.

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