Worry over the human rights of Japanese ‘baby factory’ toddlers

By Chularat Saengpassa 
The Nation

 

 

A CHILDREN’S-RIGHTS activist yesterday raised concerns about the fate of 13 children that Thai authorities will hand over to the rich Japanese man who fathered them through commercial surrogacy.
 

Sanphasit Koompraphant, who previously sat on the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child, lamented that these children risked losing an opportunity to live in a warm family. “I think the world will condemn Thailand,” he said. 

 

Sanphasit spoke up one day after the Central Juvenile and Family Court granted Mitsutoki Shigeta sole custody of 13 toddlers he fathered but was forced to leave behind in Thailand in the wake of a “baby factory” scandal. 

 

In 2014, authorities raided Shigeta’s upscale apartment in Bangkok and launched an investigation after his many babies aroused suspicion. 

 

Sanphasit said Shigeta has apparently used money to get the babies, and his actions violated the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children shall receive care from a warm family.

 

“I’ve heard that this Japanese man has fathered about 30 kids. Many children are in Japan and several others are in Cambodia and Vietnam. In such circumstances, these kids will have to stay with nannies, not their family members,” Sanphasit said. 

 

He said he hoped the Children and Youth Department would petition the court, asking that custody of the 13 children be handed over to Japan’s child-protection centre. 

 

 

“It’s a way to protect the rights of the children. In the event that Shigeta wants to get custody, he can ask for custody from the centre later,” Sanphasit said. Because tests confirm Shigeta is the biological father and their children’s mothers have not come forward to make a claim, these children will have to get Japanese – not Thai – nationality.

 

He believed with this move, authorities could have assurances that the Japan-based centre would monitor the upbringing of these children. 

 

Akom Pradittasuwan, who heads the Bureau of Sanatorium and Healing Arts, believed everyone had tried to do things in the best interests of the children. “We have dispatched officials to Japan and found out that children under his care are being well-taken care of,” he said. 

 

Akom said although Shigeta’s move was unlike normal family-building, any decision on the custody should be based on what would benefit the children the most. Director-general Witas Techaboon, said his department would comply with the court order and treat Shigeta as the sole custodian. 

 

He assured concerned parties that his department would not just hand over these children to their biological father. “We will monitor them for a certain period of time,” he said. 

 

According to him, Shigeta’s relatives had visited the children often while they were under the care of his department during the past few years. 

“There are plans to let these toddlers adjust themselves before they move to Japan,” Witas explained. 

 

He disclosed that he had already made clear to Shigeta’s lawyer that the nannies arranged by Shigeta must receive proper training and familiarise themselves with the 13 toddlers before their relocation to Japan. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30339408

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-22

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

A CHILDREN’S-RIGHTS activist yesterday raised concerns about the fate of 13 children that Thai authorities will hand over to the rich Japanese man who fathered them through commercial surrogacy.

I guess that we will have some positive sides of this ruling too:

 

• The 13 children will probably be coming to a person that really can provide for them and give them a meaningful life
• The mothers that agreed to be surrogates, does not want the children. They wanted money for a work done.
• The children will not be subject to a growing Yaba and Lao Khao culture.
• The 13 children will not end up thrown in different garbage cans throughout one or more cities.
• They will be provided for and subject to a real education scheme, without the part of getting stabbed by a "rival" student, that´s still wet behind the ears.

Sounds like the children will be well taken care of, the problem is that they still don't have a proper family. No mom, dad is barely around most of the time. Nobody to give them the security they have like in a normal family, nannies will be there only known "parent". This japanese man should not be allowed to have so many kids.

1 hour ago, mike324 said:

This japanese man should not be allowed to have so many kids.

So in the interim shall they initiate a strict one child per family law as Communist China did a while back? 

 

I actually thought it was a good idea then. At least one nation positively addressed over population. 

 

I hate situations like in the US where babie factories (having 6 children) are given tax relief where prudent single taxpayers get screwed with the higher tax rates.

Then they cry about "marriage panalty" sorry when I was single I paid $1200 in fed income tax when I was married got a $1200 refund... what penalty?

3 minutes ago, Grumpy Duck said:

 

I hate situations like in the US where babie factories (having 6 children) are given tax relief where prudent single taxpayers get screwed with the higher tax rates.

Then they cry about "marriage panalty" sorry when I was single I paid $1200 in fed income tax when I was married got a $1200 refund... what penalty?

Yes and I hate situations were everything gets compared to what happens in the USA

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Yes and I hate situations were everything gets compared to what happens in the USA

Can you tell me how income is taxed here? Does a person with 6 children pay more or less in income tax than a single person?

 

 Inquiring minds would like to know.  

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

Yes and I hate situations were everything gets compared to what happens in the USA

One principle of writing is to "write what you know".

Would you be happier if he wrote about the societal norms of the Bushmen of the Kalihari?

39 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

One principle of writing is to "write what you know".

Would you be happier if he wrote about the societal norms of the Bushmen of the Kalihari?

No because  that excludes half the bushmen's tribe the bushwomen

On another note these  people who had the baby factory's severely  ruined  me and my Wife's  chances of having a child by surrogacy as when we were going down this route they clamped right down on it all.

Thanks you selfish gits!

3 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

Can you tell me how income is taxed here? Does a person with 6 children pay more or less in income tax than a single person?

 

 Inquiring minds would like to know.  

Does anyone pay tax here??