A sewing factory in eastern Japan required an Indonesian Muslim trainee to sign a note promising to forgo praying five times a day and Ramadan fasting as a condition of her employment, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Monday.
The firm also prohibited her from owning a cell phone and exchanging letters.
The Justice Ministry suspect the firm’s practice infringes on the woman’s human rights in violation of its guidelines for accepting trainees, which is based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
According to the note written both in Japanese and Indonesian, the factory prohibited the woman from worshipping on the firm’s property and fasting while in Japan.
She was also prohibited from exchanging letters domestically, sending money to her family or traveling in vehicles.
In addition, she had a curfew of 9 p.m. at her dormitory and was not allowed to invite friends there.
