Re: [tlug] From an enthusiast TLUG follower

[Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com>]

On 28/8/2020 1:24 pm, Jim Breen wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Aug 2020 at 15:08, Chris <chris@example.com> wrote:
> > Japan can not close borders to returning Japanese citizens without violating international law ...
>
> Many countries regularly flout international law, and Japan is no
> exception. It's a handy thing to hide behind, and on occasions some
> countries can use it in novel ways(*), but basically local law gazumps
> international law and there's not much anyone can do about it. It's
> not as if there's an international police force going around enforcing
> it.


About what both Jim and Edward have said, I think this 
pandemic is definitely unprecedented.  Our mailing list is 
definitely geared towards Japan as most of us live there or 
have some connection to it.  But every country seems to have 
done something that would have gone against 2019's 
definition of international law.

The land border between Canada and the USA is the "longest 
undefended land border in the world" and that has been 
effectively closed.  For me, closing that was a bigger 
surprise that whatever Japan is doing.  Perhaps like 
Australia, Japan might be happy that they are an island 
nation...sure makes closing borders much easier!

Given that this is a health-related issue, I would think / 
hope that the organisation that was best equipped to unify 
every country's response might have been the WHO, but they 
were caught off guard and slow in responding.

I guess covid-19 might last a while and with people living 
in cities more and more, this won't be the last time this 
happens.  Hopefully when this wave ends, we learn from the 
experience and figure out ways to avoid this from happening.

Maybe some universally accepted proof of residency, as 
opposed to citizenship, is what's needed?  After all, it is 
true where you live (and how that government is handling or 
not handling covid-19) correlates with your risk level. 
Indeed, citizenship is irrelevant, but passports is all we have.

Ray