Human Rights Now presents
“Talk event ~ Foreign Perspective on Freedom of Speech in Japan“
Recently, the government and ruling party in Japan have escalated their interference over the media. For example, the ruling party summoned managers of the major broadcasting companies to inquire about the content of their TV programs claiming that the programs “distorted facts”. Also, a MP of the ruling party suggested that the government “has authority to suspend broadcasting of TV stations if they distorted the facts. The series of such actions have raised serious concerns over the freedoms of press and expression and the right to access information in Japan.
Moreover, the Abe-administration railroaded security bills that contradict with the Constitution and expand the role of the Self-Defense-Force despite the strong opposition from the public. In a democratic country, media activities and active and diverse discussions among civil societies play an important role of checks and balances restraining the power of authorities. And history shows that restriction on freedom of press and speech is always the first perilous step toward blind nationalism and political mistakes including waging a reckless war.
As the freedom of speech in Japan seems to continue to be threatened by the pressure from the government and ruling party, civil societies and the media, whose role is to watch and control the authorities, need to raise their voices against this restriction.
Human Rights Now, a Tokyo-based international human rights NGO, this time invites professionals from foreign media to speak at a talk event to discuss current situations surrounding the freedom of speech in Japan from foreign perspectives.
◆Event Information◆
Date: 2015/10/9(Fri) 18:30-20:30
Venue: TBD / Tokyo-area
Fee: 1,000 yen （Please see below for how to register）
◆Program◆
Part 1 Presentation from Guest Speakers
Part 2 Discussion/ Q&A
<Speaker List>
○ Mr. Martin Fackler
(Journalist-in-Residence at the Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation, a Tokyo-based think tank/ Former Tokyo bureau chief of The New York Times)
○Mr. Koichi Nakano
(Professor of politics at Sophia University)
○Mr. Kunio Hamada
(Attorney at Law, Former Justice of Supreme Court of Japan, and HRN management counsel)
◆Registration◆
○Registration via Peatix
You can buy tickets at http://ptix.co/1FoOsyr
○Registration via Email
Please send your Name and Contact info to the HRN Secretariat (info@hrn.or.jp) with the title of the event you are attending. You can pay the fee at the venue.
◆About Organizer◆
Human Rights Now is an international human rights NGO based in Tokyo, Japan and its members comprise over 700 individuals and organizations, including lawyers, scholars, journalists, law firms, former UN official, retired Japanese Supreme Court Justices, and activists. Human Rights Now works for the promotion and protection of human rights for people in the world, with a special focus in Asia.
Human Rights Now issued a statement “Human Rights Now Protests Government and Ruling Party Intervention in Freedom of Speech” and hosted a talk event to discuss and propose policies that address the freedom of speech in Japan in July, 2015.
◆Contact info◆
Human Rights Now
Email:info@hrn.or.jp Tel: 03-3835-2110 Web: http://hrn.or.jp/eng/