Concerns shown over Japan’s press freedom at UN panel

November 15, 2017

Geneva- Some member nations of the United Nations voiced concerns over the level of freedom of the press in Japan at Tuesday's meeting of a working group of the UN Human Rights Council.

It is the first time since October 2012 that the council's working group meeting to review the human rights situation in Japan has been held. Issues related to press freedom in the Asian nation were brought up for the first time, by the United States and other countries.

The United States called on Japan to establish an independent media supervisory institution, saying that it is worried about the country's current regulatory framework on media organizations, including the broadcast act, which stipulates the government's authority to stop broadcasts of broadcasting companies.

Australia and Brazil showed concerns over the level of the media's independence in Japan and the nation's state secrecy law.

Japan rebutted by saying that the government has never exerted undue pressure on the media.

In a report released in May, David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, urged Japan to revise the broadcast act and the state secrecy law.

Under the secrecy law, which went into force in December 2014, pieces of information that could substantially affect Japan's security if leaked are designated as special state secrets for protection. Public servants and others who leak designated information would face prison terms of up to 10 years.

In the UN council's Universal Periodic Review, the human rights situations of all 193 UN member countries are reviewed.

The ongoing review is the third for Japan. The first such assessment for the country was carried out in May 2008.

At Tuesday's meeting, South Korea, North Korea and China, as they did in previous meetings, voiced concerns over the issue of so-called comfort women, who were forced to serve as prostitutes for Japanese troops before and during World War II.

In addition, many countries, mainly those in Europe, called on Japan to abolish the death penalty.

Recommendations on Japan will be drawn up on Thursday based on discussions at the working group and are expected to be officially adopted at a Human Rights Council meeting in March next year. Jiji Press