Deepak Raj Sivakoti, 45, came to Japan in October 2006 on a short-term visa and says he will be killed if he returns to Nepal. [break]
The Tokyo Immigration Bureau rejected his application for refugee status in January, claiming there is no imminent danger in Nepal as the Maoists are disarming in the country.
Sivakoti has appealed the decision.
Sivakoti has been detained at an immigration facility since November as he stayed in Japan beyond the duration of his visa.
Japanese immigration authorities have also denied him a provisional release.
´´I heard that the Maoists are still looking for me,´´Sivakoti told Kyodo News at the immigration facility.
Nepali people rarely apply for refugee status in Japan, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.
While in Nepal, Sivakoti traded in timber and groceries in Chitwan district, with some of his product delivered to
state forces. He says this prompted the Maoists to blackmail him and says he also met violence from the Maoists.
Sivakoti, his wife and two children fled separately from Chitwan around April 2006. Before he came to Japan alone in October that year, he had visited the country on business.
In Japan, Sivakoti stayed with different acquaintances before being taken to the immigration facility.
´´Even though the Maoists have promised to disarm, violence and murders against citizens have been rampant,´´ he said.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry has issued a travel advisory against visiting some parts of Nepal, citing lingering Maoist activity.
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