. . . When two freed hostages mentioned wanting to stay or return to Iraq to continue their work, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi angrily urged them "to have some sense."
"Many government officials made efforts to rescue them, without even eating and sleeping, and they are still saying that sort of thing?" he said.
The comment was revealing, one that would not be uttered, at least publicly, in the United States where the government is supposed to serve the people. Here, the government is now trumpeting "personal responsibility" for those going to dangerous areas - essentially saying that travelers shouldn't accept any help from the government to secure their safety or get out of trouble.
Again, no Japanese politician dared to speak out against this idea. . . .
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/international/asia/22CND-JAPAN.html> *****
The LDP and its supporters went on a preemptive attack on the freed hostages in view of upcoming elections, but it is a lie that "no Japanese politician dared to speak out against" it, and the LDP has already had to backtrack:
***** Journalists slam gov't over hostage crisis, info control Friday, April 23, 2004 at 06:20 JST
TOKYO - A group of Japanese journalists and media analysts on Thursday criticized the government's handling of the recent hostage crisis in Iraq in which state officials and ruling lawmakers repeatedly blamed the Japanese hostages and their families.
In a statement issued at a Tokyo gathering of about 110 journalists and other people, the group also slammed the government for hoarding information and limiting the news media's coverage of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in Iraq and demanded a quick withdrawal of the troops. (Kyodo News)
<http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=296121> *****
***** PERCEPTION GAP: Debate swirls over hostages' responsibility The Asahi Shimbun
The government and others point fingers at the former captives. But not everyone agrees.
Their ordeal over in Iraq, the five Japanese taken captive faced another upon their return home this week: the debate over whose responsibility it was to ensure their safety.
The government, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and many members of the public voiced sharp criticism of the former captives as soon as the first group of three was released last Thursday.
Some lawmakers went so far as to suggest billing the three-aid worker Nahoko Takato, 34; peace activist Noriaki Imai, 18; and photojournalist Soichiro Koriyama, 32-for the cost of rescue operations.
Their rationale: The three entered Iraq at their own risk despite a government warning, so they must assume responsibility for their own actions.
Upon hearing that two of them initially wanted to remain in Iraq after their release, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi commented that they should be more ``aware.''
``After going through such an ordeal, and after many government officials totally devoted themselves to rescuing them, how could they still have said that?'' he asked Friday.
The second pair of captives-journalist Junpei Yasuda, 30, and human rights activist Nobutaka Watanabe, 36-flew home Tuesday. By putting such emphasis on jiko sekinin (personal responsibility), critics are in effect covering up the graver responsibility of the nation for protecting its people, say nongovernmental organizations and others.
Michiya Kumaoka, head of the Japan International Volunteer Center, admits it is the responsibility of aid workers in a region of conflict to try to ``secure their own safety by collecting information to make proper judgments.''
But it does not release the government from its responsibility to protect them because, even at great risk, they are serving a cause beyond national interests, which government agencies cannot handle, he said.
``I've never heard of those rescued being urged to bear the burden (of costs),'' said Kumaoka.
Peace Boat director Tatsuya Yoshioka, who appeared on Arab television to call on the hostage-takers to release the three captives, concurred. ``It is an obligation of the state to protect its people,'' he said.
``How great is the contribution to Japan's reputation that they made through their activities?'' he asked. ``A government that fails to appreciate that discourages humanitarian aid activities abroad.''
He went on: ``Why were they caught? Because they are from Japan, which cooperates with U.S. forces by sending Self-Defense Forces troops.
``Why were they freed? They were involved in humanitarian assistance, were unarmed and critical of the SDF dispatch.'' . . .
(IHT/Asahi: April 21,2004) (04/21)
<http://www.asahi.com/english/nation/TKY200404210192.html> *****
***** Flak ebbs for former hostages The Asahi Shimbun
A barrage of criticism directed at the five Japanese taken captive in Iraq has quieted down about as quickly as it first picked up.
Many members of the government and ruling coalition blamed the five for acting ``irresponsibly'' and for ignoring repeated government advisories against traveling to Iraq. Some even suggested the former hostages be asked to pay the costs incurred for their evacuation from Iraq.
Now, however, ruling coalition officials are trying to play down the controversy.
New Komeito head Takenori Kanzaki said, ``Although the five did not have adequate time to prepare, it is the responsibility of the government to protect Japanese nationals.''
Initial moves to revise laws to ban travel to certain nations have also been abandoned after a calmer consideration of the implications of such a change. . . .
(IHT/Asahi: April 23,2004) (04/23)
<http://www.asahi.com/english/nation/TKY200404210192.html> *****
And the JCP, now the largest Communist Party ("a membership of more than 400,000, an Akahata readership of about two million, 40 seats in the diet (parliament) and about 4,400 local assembly members," <http://www.jcp.or.jp/english/jps_weekly/2002-0708-fuwa.html>) in the rich capitalist countries, is still a party worth voting for:
***** [O]pposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) has taken a more nuanced stance toward the dispatch.
``The government should not change a decision already made and yield to the (abductors') demands,'' said Minshuto head Naoto Kan in Tokorozawa.
But, he added, the deteriorating security situation means ``the time has come for some SDF members to be evacuated to Kuwait and to scale back the presence in Iraq.''
Japanese Communist Party head Kazuo Shii adamantly called for the immediate withdrawal of the SDF from Iraq.
``The withdrawal of the SDF from Iraq that is being asked for by the families of the hostages is the common wish of the Japanese people,'' Shii said.
Three candidates are running in the Saitama No. 8 district. Minshuto's Atsushi Kinoshita lost in the district in November, but gained a seat through the proportional representation constituency.
With an incumbent tainted by scandal, the LDP took the unusual step of accepting applications for the Saitama seat, selecting lawyer Masahiko Shibayama from among 81 hopefuls.
The third candidate is Reiko Yagishita of the Japanese Communist Party.
The death of former Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda led to the by-election in the Hiroshima No. 5 district.
The LDP is running Minoru Terada, husband of the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda. Minshuto's candidate is Mitsuo Mitani, a former aide to former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. The Communist candidate is Susumu Matsumoto.
The Kagoshima election was necessitated by the death of Sadanori Yamanaka, a former trade minister.
Hiroshi Moriyama is giving up his Upper House seat to run as the LDP candidate. Minshuto's Isao Tateyama is a member of a group of former leprosy patients seeking compensation from the central government. Hiroshi Kayano is running as the Communist candidate.
<http://www.asahi.com/english/politics/TKY200404140166.html> ***** -- Yoshie
* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/> * Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>