Japan Press Weekly

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2015 June 24 - 30 [POLITICS]

LDP lawmakers encourage reprisals against media criticizing war legislation

It has come to light that at a meeting held on June 25 at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s head office, LDP lawmakers called for taking action against mass media criticizing the government-proposed war legislation.

In the meeting, author Hyakuta Naoki, a former NHK governor, gave a speech as a guest speaker. He condemned two local newspapers in Okinawa for opposing the war-related bills and the construction of a new U.S. military base in the prefecture. “We must punish the two papers,” he said.

Referring to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station located in the densely-populated area in Okinawa’s Ginowan City, Hyakuta said that after the base was built, local people voluntarily came to live around the facility in order to obtain base-related jobs.

Some LDP legislators present said, “To punish the media, the most effective step to take is to reduce their advertising revenues. Let’s urge the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) to discourage its member corporations from advertising in the media in question.”

On the following day, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo held a news conference in the Diet building, stating that the JCP cannot overlook these remarks.

Shii noted that the series of comments constitute a challenge to the constitutionally-ensured freedom of the press and is a gross insult to Okinawans.

The JCP head went on to point out that this issue puts on display the arrogance of the Abe administration and the governing parties as well as their acute anxiety over the growing public opposition to the war legislation. He added that as the LDP President, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo should take action against the parliamentarians concerned.

At a Lower House special committee session on the same day, JCP representative Shiokawa Tetsuya grilled the government regarding this issue. He demanded that PM Abe conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and make a public apology.

The prime minister, however, expressed no intent to apologize for the issue or punish the lawmakers concerned, while saying that it is “regrettable” that they made such remarks.

Past related article:
> Extension of Diet session in order to honor pledge to US is unacceptable [June 23, 2015]