A friend of Shinzo Abe's Naoki Hyakuta and former member public broadcaster NHK suggested in a speech to Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) backbenchers that two Okinawan newspapers be forced to cease publication over their criticism of government policy concerning Okinawa and the U.S. bases there.
The Japanese government under the leadership of Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party have since returning to power in December of 2012 worked hard to marginalized, intimidate and quash any voice which is critical of the ruling party. Members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are about half a step from being out right authoritarian.
When Abe appointed the new director of NHK Japan's national public broadcaster (paraphrasing here) he stated that the broadcaster wouldn't stray from the government line. NHK is supposed to be neutral, giving all sides a place to voice their agreement or disagreement with government policy. By coming straight out and articulating a policy that parrots the governments NHK can no longer be seen as objective observer of the news or government policy.
NHK hasn't been the only target of the government the Asahi Shinbun has been on the receiving end of an endless string of abuse from the government and more than 8,000 right wing activists who have sued the newspaper over a series of articles they published in the 1980's and 90's about Comfort Women.
The furor erupted on Thursday when novelist Naoki Hyakuta—a former NHK board member and close friend of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—said during his lecture that the Okinawa Times and the Ryukyu Shimpo should be put out of business, Fuji TV reported. Other lawmakers present suggested the government put pressure on the Japan Business Federation to urge members not to advertise in the two Okinawan newspapers.That's rich coming from group of people who have done this.
On Friday in the Diet, opposition lawmakers questioned Abe. “Don’t you feel ashamed or sorry as the LDP leader? Is there anything you want to say about it?” asked lower house member Kiyomi Tsujimoto of the Social Democratic Party. Abe said that freedom of the press is a fundamental part of democracy and called the remarks regrettable, if that is what was actually said. However, he said it was not up to him to apologize but the speakers, because the attendees at the gathering were just putting forward their personal opinions.
8,700 Japanese consrvative wingnuts have filed suit agianst the Asahi
Shinbun over a series of articles published in the 1980's and 1990's
about Confort Women which is just a substitute for forced prostitution
by the Japanese Imprial army.
The 18 articles were formally retracted last year.
According to the suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, the plaintiffs, including researchers, journalists and lawmakers, demanded that ¥10,000 in compensation be paid to each person, arguing the major daily “damaged Japanese people’s personal rights and honor.”
It also demands the paper run an ad to apologize for “spreading erroneous facts to international society.”
The left-leaning daily withdrew the 18 stories last August because they focused on a man named Seiji Yoshida, who claimed to have participated in rounding up females for use as sex slaves by the Japanese military.
Of course the LDP loves a free press
Shinzo Abe And The LDP Work To Stifle The Press And They're Suceeding
The Japanese government under the leadership of Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party have since returning to power in December of 2012 worked hard to marginalized, intimidate and quash any voice which is critical of the ruling party. Members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are about half a step from being out right authoritarian.
When Abe appointed the new director of NHK Japan's national public broadcaster (paraphrasing here) he stated that the broadcaster wouldn't stray from the government line. NHK is supposed to be neutral, giving all sides a place to voice their agreement or disagreement with government policy. By coming straight out and articulating a policy that parrots the governments NHK can no longer be seen as objective observer of the news or government policy.
NHK hasn't been the only target of the government the Asahi Shinbun has been on the receiving end of an endless string of abuse from the government and more than 8,000 right wing activists who have sued the newspaper over a series of articles they published in the 1980's and 90's about Comfort Women.
The 18 articles were formally retracted last year.
According to the suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, the plaintiffs, including researchers, journalists and lawmakers, demanded that ¥10,000 in compensation be paid to each person, arguing the major daily “damaged Japanese people’s personal rights and honor.”
It also demands the paper run an ad to apologize for “spreading erroneous facts to international society.”
The left-leaning daily withdrew the 18 stories last August because they focused on a man named Seiji Yoshida, who claimed to have participated in rounding up females for use as sex slaves by the Japanese military.
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