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Time to show zero tolerance for violence
The killing of Nagasaki City Mayor Itoh Iccho in a shooting during his election campaign is a heinous crime unheard of in Japanfs political history since the end of World War II. The task now is for the whole society, in particular political parties and politicians, to show their determination that they will not tolerate such an act of defiance against freedom and democracy.
On April 17, in a published comment on the incident, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo only said, gI hope that investigators will get to the truth behind the incident.h He gave no words of criticism or indignation at this act of violence.
On the following day, Abe modified the comment he issued the previous day. He said, gResorting to an act of violence during the election campaign is an attack on democracy and must not be condoned for any reason.h However, his initial reaction was extraordinary at a time when political leaders of opposition as well as ruling parties in their statements were condemning violence, including a statement published soon after the incident by Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo.
Journalist Torigoe Shuntaro on a TV program criticized Abefs comment regarding the incident. He said, gThat is not a kind of comment a prime minister should make on a politicianfs death in gun violence during an election campaign. At the least he should have stood firm against the crime by stating that it is a challenge to a democratic society and it must not be condoned for any reason.h
Faced with increasing criticism not only from the media but from among politicians, the prime ministerfs spokesman made an excuse saying, gThe prime minister feels the same way though his comment was a bit short.h
However, this was not the first time that the prime minister showed how insensitive he is to acts of violence.
When former Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party Kato Koichifs parentsf house was burnt down last August in an arson attack by a rightist denouncing Kato for opposing the prime ministerfs visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Abe, chief cabinet secretary at the time, and then Prime Minister Koizumi Junfichiro kept silent for two weeks about the incident. Due to growing criticism from within the LDP for their lack of sensitivity, Koizumi finally stated, gSuppression of freedom of speech with violence must never be condoned.h Abe was also compelled to state, gI want to wait for what investigators might say. If the crime was committed for the purpose of suppressing Katofs opinion, it is absolutely unacceptable.h
In 2003, a bomb was planted at the house of a high-ranking foreign ministry official who was Japanfs chief negotiator in talks aimed at normalizing relations with North Korea. Commenting on this incident, Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro showed his tolerance toward this act of violence by saying, gIt is not surprising.h
If this kind of tolerance persists, violence and lawlessness will not be eliminated from Japan. The arson attack against the ex-LDP secretary general who was critical of the prime ministerfs visits to Yasukuni Shrine and the 1990 shooting of then Nagasaki Mayor Motoshima Hitoshi in connection with his statement that the emperor is responsible for the war show that violent attacks on the freedom of speech have taken place in conjunction with the increasing adverse current that justifies Japanfs past war of aggression. The freedom of speech is an essential to democracy. In defending the freedom of political activities, it is necessary to eradicate the tendency that tolerates violence. It is time for the political world to show zero-tolerance for violence. - Akahata, April 19, 2007 |
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