July 1, 2015
In protest against a series of remarks made by the ruling party’s lawmakers pushing for the suppression of free speech, a rally took place on June 30 in the Upper House members’ office building. About 300 people participated in the rally which was called for by opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party.
At the assembly, senior officials of two local newspapers in Okinawa spoke. Both the papers were criticized by lawmakers from the governing Liberal Democratic Party for opposing the government-sponsored war legislation.
Shima Yoko, chief of the press section of the Ryukyu Shimpo’s Tokyo office, blamed the LDP parliamentarians for attacking the newspaper by labeling its coverage as “biased”. “As a local paper, we will continue news reporting for the sake of the people in Okinawa, not for those in power,” she stressed.
Miyagi Eisaku, head of the editorial staff of the Okinawa Times’ Tokyo office, noted that the daily has developed by reflecting local public opinion. “It is the Abe administration that is blatantly biased,” he said.
Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki, one of the organizers of the gathering, demanded that PM Abe, as the LDP President, make an apology for the remarks recently made by LDP Dietmembers. He went on to say that the JCP will continue to work with the general public in order to protect the constitutional right to the freedom of expression. Representatives of the Democratic and Social Democratic parties also gave speeches in solidarity.
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LDP member of the House of Representatives Onishi Hideo told reporters on June 30 that the news media opposing the security legislation “should be punished”.
At an LDP study meeting five days before, Onishi called on his fellow legislators to discourage private companies from placing their advertisements in the “slanted” papers.
The lawmaker justified his recent remark by saying, “Opposition parties are misusing my statement solely for the purpose of attacking the government.”
At the assembly, senior officials of two local newspapers in Okinawa spoke. Both the papers were criticized by lawmakers from the governing Liberal Democratic Party for opposing the government-sponsored war legislation.
Shima Yoko, chief of the press section of the Ryukyu Shimpo’s Tokyo office, blamed the LDP parliamentarians for attacking the newspaper by labeling its coverage as “biased”. “As a local paper, we will continue news reporting for the sake of the people in Okinawa, not for those in power,” she stressed.
Miyagi Eisaku, head of the editorial staff of the Okinawa Times’ Tokyo office, noted that the daily has developed by reflecting local public opinion. “It is the Abe administration that is blatantly biased,” he said.
Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki, one of the organizers of the gathering, demanded that PM Abe, as the LDP President, make an apology for the remarks recently made by LDP Dietmembers. He went on to say that the JCP will continue to work with the general public in order to protect the constitutional right to the freedom of expression. Representatives of the Democratic and Social Democratic parties also gave speeches in solidarity.
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LDP member of the House of Representatives Onishi Hideo told reporters on June 30 that the news media opposing the security legislation “should be punished”.
At an LDP study meeting five days before, Onishi called on his fellow legislators to discourage private companies from placing their advertisements in the “slanted” papers.
The lawmaker justified his recent remark by saying, “Opposition parties are misusing my statement solely for the purpose of attacking the government.”
