This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7067450.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Japan minister in al-Qaeda claim Japan minister in al-Qaeda claim
(about 3 hours later)
A Japanese politician has attempted to justify plans to fingerprint foreigners by saying he knows an al-Qaeda member who entered the country illegally. A Japanese politician has attempted to justify plans to fingerprint foreigners by claiming he knows an al-Qaeda member who entered the country illegally.
Justice minister Kunio Hatoyama said a friend of a friend, who was involved in a bombing in Bali, had entered Japan using fake passports several years ago. Justice minister Kunio Hatoyama said the man was a "friend of a friend" who was involved in a bomb attack on Bali.
It was an odd claim to make without producing any evidence to back it up. He produced no evidence to back up his claim, but said it showed the need for stricter checks on overseas visitors.
Ministers say they need to introduce strict checks on foreign visitors to prevent terrorism and reduce crime. Later he appeared to backtrack, stressing he had not met the man and could not verify his friend's claims.
Discrimination claim 'Rights violation'
Mr Hatoyama said he had never met the man, but he had heard that two or three years ago he had come to Japan several times. From 20 November almost all foreign visitors and overseas workers will be photographed and fingerprinted as they enter the country.
Each time he had used a different passport and disguised himself with a fake beard, Mr Hatoyama said. The measures have already proved controversial, with Amnesty International labelling the system as discriminatory and "a violation of basic human rights".
He claimed the man had been involved in a bomb attack on Bali but it was not clear which bombing he was referring to. But Mr Hatoyama used the story of the al-Qaeda member to argue that the threat of terrorism justified the new measures.
Mr Hatoyama was trying to justify Japan's plans to fingerprint and photograph almost all foreigners arriving in the country from next month. "My friend's friend is a member of al-Qaeda. I have never met him, but I heard that two or three years ago he came to Japan several times," he told a press conference.
The government says it is a necessary step to prevent terrorism. "The fact is that such foreign people can easily enter Japan. In terms of security, this is not a preferable situation."
The minister said the measure was also designed to reduce crime. The minister also claimed his friend had warned him of the Bali bombing - although there have been two major terrorist attacks on the Indonesian island in recent years and he did not specify which one he was referring to.
Only the United States currently fingerprints and photographs visitors. Later, Mr Hatoyama cast doubt on all of these claims, saying he had been "unclear and misleading".
Japan plans to subject foreigners who live here, not just visitors, to the same scrutiny. He denied he had been warned of any attack on Bali before it had happened.
Some critics have complained that the new policy is discriminatory and will put people off visiting or settling in Japan. "I myself am not a friend of anyone who is thought to be a member of [al-Qaeda] and I don't know them personally. I can't verify the authenticity of what my friend said."
Japanese officials plan to check foreigners' fingerprints against international and domestic crime databases to root out potential terrorists and people with criminal records.
Certain permanent residents, such as ethnic Koreans and Chinese, will be exempt, alongside diplomatic visitors and children.