February 5, 2012
Akahata “current” column
An interesting chart appeared in the organ paper of Kokumin Kyuenkai (People’s Aid and Relief Society) issued on November 25, 2011. It compared legal restrictions on national public servants’ involvement in political activities while off duty in five countries: Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France.
Although the other four countries guarantee in principle national government employees’ right to take part in political activities in their free time, only Japan imposes a complete ban on such activities and punishes those who violate this restriction.
Nine years ago, Horikoshi Akio, a Social Insurance Agency office employee, was arrested for distributing Akahata leaflets near his home in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward during a general election campaign. Two years later, Ujihashi Shin’ichi, an employee of the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, was arrested for distributing flyers of the Japanese Communist Party in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward the day before a general election.
While taking part in political activities on their day offs, both were indicted for violating the ban on national government employees being involved in political activities.
These incidents provoked a response from the United Nations. In 2008, the U.N. Human Rights Committee sent recommendations to the Japanese government, calling on it to stop unduly restricting public servants’ suffrage and their freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, it has been recently revealed that the Okinawa Defense Bureau chief gave a “lecture” to his staff in relation to an upcoming mayoral election in Ginowan City. The bureau office ordered its Ginowan-based staff to attend the “lecture” when the chief would explain the national government’s position on the “relocation” of the U.S. Futenma base located in the city and would call on them not to abstain from voting in the mayoral election.
While some parliamentarians are siding with the bureau chief, his action must be regarded as a blatant attempt to pressure staff and their family members to vote in a certain way.
How can an authoritative body be allowed to conduct election campaigns while public servants’ political actions as Japanese citizens are suppressed? Does the government find no shame in violating the people’s human rights for its own interests?
An interesting chart appeared in the organ paper of Kokumin Kyuenkai (People’s Aid and Relief Society) issued on November 25, 2011. It compared legal restrictions on national public servants’ involvement in political activities while off duty in five countries: Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France.
Although the other four countries guarantee in principle national government employees’ right to take part in political activities in their free time, only Japan imposes a complete ban on such activities and punishes those who violate this restriction.
Nine years ago, Horikoshi Akio, a Social Insurance Agency office employee, was arrested for distributing Akahata leaflets near his home in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward during a general election campaign. Two years later, Ujihashi Shin’ichi, an employee of the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, was arrested for distributing flyers of the Japanese Communist Party in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward the day before a general election.
While taking part in political activities on their day offs, both were indicted for violating the ban on national government employees being involved in political activities.
These incidents provoked a response from the United Nations. In 2008, the U.N. Human Rights Committee sent recommendations to the Japanese government, calling on it to stop unduly restricting public servants’ suffrage and their freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, it has been recently revealed that the Okinawa Defense Bureau chief gave a “lecture” to his staff in relation to an upcoming mayoral election in Ginowan City. The bureau office ordered its Ginowan-based staff to attend the “lecture” when the chief would explain the national government’s position on the “relocation” of the U.S. Futenma base located in the city and would call on them not to abstain from voting in the mayoral election.
While some parliamentarians are siding with the bureau chief, his action must be regarded as a blatant attempt to pressure staff and their family members to vote in a certain way.
How can an authoritative body be allowed to conduct election campaigns while public servants’ political actions as Japanese citizens are suppressed? Does the government find no shame in violating the people’s human rights for its own interests?
