Asanuma was the keynote speaker for Constitutional Human Rights during the public forum. Constitutional rights, he said, are based on natural law. They are not debatable and should not be treated as a matter of condition. They should be recognized regardless of sex, race and social status. Unfortunately, he said, some governments, in general, have laws that are contradicting to human rights.
“I can say that many of the laws in Palau need to reviewed, especially the laws on minimum wage,” Asanuma said in an interview. “It should be the same for all, regardless of race.”
According to Asanuma, the Palauan minimum wage is $2.50, and for foreigners it’s $1.50. “They may seem unfair at first sight,” he explained. “But when you look at it, by law, the employer is required to provide for all the amenities for foreign employees. When you prorate that, the foreign workers are actually earning more than $2.50 because they have added incentives. So that is the issue of law that needs to be corrected.”
Asanuma added that if people are to be paid $2.50, then so be it, nobody gets fringe benefits that the other does not.
In his lecture, he also used the issue of ‘sliding scale’ in the hospital and the absence of paternity leave in Palau.
“If you’re this earner you pay this much,” Asanuma said. “That is discrimination based on your wage. I propose that uman rights should be treated the same and equally regardless of conditions.”
He said if women get maternity leave, how come men don’t get paternity leave? “If my wife is going on leave because she’s having a baby, why can’t I get my paternity leave, too?” he said.
However, he said Palau is lucky that the country has incorporated the Bill of Rights, the basic human rights, into Article 4 of its Constitution, which is called the fundamental rights. Palau constitution, in that respect, is very strong when it comes to promoting human rights.
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