Women's network sues NHK for distorting program on military comfort women

A women's organization on July 24 sued NHK for broadcasting a distorted program on the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery which was held in December 2000.

The organization filing the suit is the VAWW-NET Japan (Violence Against Women in War - Network, Japan, represented by Matsui Yayori). It organized the Tribunal in Tokyo in December 2000 to denounce the Japanese Army's exploitation of Asian women as sex slaves during its war of aggression in Asia.

The Network cooperated with NHK in producing a program on the international war crimes tribunal.

The program was broadcast in January 2001 under the title "How should the world try war?" But NHK cut out the Tribunal's conclusion that the Japanese emperor and the state must be held responsible for the war. The program emphasized opinions critical of those raising the issue of military comfort women.

The Network demanded that NHK pay 20 million yen (162,000 dollars) in compensation for damaging the organization's credibility as a result of the program alteration. It pointed out that NHK abandoned the freedom of the press and ignored the media responsibility by altering the contents of the program to comply with the demand of rightist organizations for the programs to be canceled.

The international organizing committee of the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on the day demanded that an apology be broadcast for the libel in violation of broadcasters ethics. (end)