◊ SAMP MPLEPOS OSI TI ON PAPER Comm mmi t t ee:HumanRi ght s Topi c:I nt e r ne tf r e e do mo fs pe e c h Count r y: Japan
Fr eedom ofspeechi st hepol i t i calr i ghtt ocommuni cat eone' sopi ni onsand i deas.Thet er mf r eedom ofexpr essi oni ss ome met i mesusedsynonymo mousl y ,but i nc l ude sanyac to fs e e ki ng ,r e c e i v i ngandi mpar t i ngi nf o r ma mat i o no ri de as , r eg ar dl essoft heme medi um use d. Fr ee dom ofspeechandexpr es si onhasal onghi st oryt hatpr edat esmo moder n i nt e r na t i o nalhuma nr i g ht si ns t r ume nt s .I ti st ho ug htt hata nc i e ntAt he ns ’ demo mocr at i ci deol ogyoff r eespeechmayhaveeme mer gedi nt hel at e6t horear l y 5t hce nt ur yBC.Thev al uesoft heRoma manRepubl i ci ncl udedf r eedom of speechandf r eedom ofr el i gi on. Todayf r e e dom ofspee c h,ort hef r ee dom ofe xpr e s s i on,i sr e cogni z e di n i nt e r na t i o nalandr e g i o nalhuma nr i g ht sl a w.Ther i g hti se ns hr i ne di n Ar t i c l e19oft heI nt e r nat i onalCov e nantonCi v i landPol i t i c alRi ght s,Ar t i c l e 10oft heEur opeanConve nt i ononHumanRi ght s,Ar t i cl e13oft heAmer i can Conve nt i ononHumanRi ght sandAr t i cl e9oft heAf r i canChar t eronHuman andPe o pl e s 'Ri g ht s
Japanbe l i e v esI nt e r ne tf r e e dom ofs pe e c ht obec r uc i alf ort he mai nt enance ofhumanr i ght sandconsi der st hati ti sanesse nt i alhumanneed.Japan pr ovi desf orf r eedom ofspeechandoft hepr ess ,andt hegover nment r espect st heseri ght si npr act i ce.Thesef r eedoms msext endt ospeechand e x pr e s s i o no nt heI nt e r ne t .Ane ffe c t i v ej udi c i ar yandaf unc t i o ni ng de mo mo c r a t i cpo l i t i c als y s t e mc o mbi mb net oe ns ur et he s er i g ht s .The r ea r eno g ov e r nme ntr e s t r i c t i o nso nac c e s st ot heI nt e r ne to rr e po r t st hatt he g o v e r nme ntmo ni t o r se mai lo rI nt e r ne tac t i v i t i e s .I ndi v i dual sandg r o ups e ng ag ei nt hepe ac e f ule xpr e s s i o no fv i e wsv i at heI nt e r ne t ,i nc l udi ngbye mai l .Furt her mor e,ourgover nmentr ecei vedgl owi ngr eport sf r om t he i nt er nat i onalpr essf orourst anceont hei ssue.Fr eedom House' sFr eedom i n t heWo Wo r l d2011r e po r t st hat" I nt e r ne tac c e s si sno tr e s t r i c t e d"i nJapan, whi l et he i rFr ee dom ont heNe t2013r epor t sJapan' s" I nt er ne tf r ee dom s t at us "as" f r e e " .
Japans uppor t si nt er ne tf r ee dom ofs pee c hasi t: Gi v epe o pl et her i g htt oha v et he i ro pi ni o nshe ar da ndc o ns i de r e d Guar ant eest hatal lopi ni onscanbet akeni nt oaccount Guar ant e esTr ueDe moc r ac y Al l owsust oknow whatopi ni onar ei nmi nor i t yandwhi c har ei nt he maj o r i t y TheJapane s egov e r nme nti sal s oawar eoft hev ar i ousc onsoft hei s s ues uc h as: Fr e e do mo fs pe e c hi sani nnat e l yv ag uec o nc e ptt hatc al l sf o rac l e ar defini t i onandi nt er pr et at i onwi t hr egardt ot hemeani ngand pe r mi s si bl el i mi t sof‘ f r e espe ec h’ . I tcanbemi susedt opr omot eodi ousi deas,suchast er r ori sm,r aci sm, se xi sm andf asc i sm. Fr eedom ofspeechdur i ngwarl i kecondi t i onscanbedet ri ment alt o t hei nt e gr i t yands e cur i t yoft henat i on • • • •
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Fr eedom ofspeechcanal sol eadt oundesi r abl ephysi calact s.For i nst ance,hat espeechesandpornogr aphycanof t enl eadt ohat e c r i me s ,r e be l l i o ns ,andr ape s . Hat es pe e c he sag ai ns tr e l i g i o nsc anha r mt her i g hto fc i t i z e nst o pr ac t i c er e l i gi onoft he i rc hoi c e. Fr ee dom ofSpeec honi nt er ne tandot hersour ce sofmedi ahav emade i tessent i alt opr ot ectmi norsf r om bei ngexposedt oobsceneand o t he r wi s epo t e nt i al l yhar mf ulmat e r i al s .
Japans uppor t st he “ t hepr omot i on,pr ot ec t i onandenj oymentofhuman r i g ht so nt heI nt e r ne t ”r e s o l ut i o nt hatpas s e do nJul y2012. Thi si mpl i e st hat t heysharet heconcer nputf orwardi nt her esol ut i onf or :“ Affir mat i ont hat t hesamer i ght st hatpeopl ehaveoffli nemustal sobepr ot ect edonl i ne,i n par t i c ul arf r e e dom ofe xpr e s si on,whi c hi sappl i c abl er e g ar dl e s soff r o nt i e r s andt hr oughanymedi aofone’ schoi ce,i naccor dancewi t hart i cl es19oft he Uni ver salDecl arat i onofHumanRi ght sandt heI nt er nat i onalCovenanton Ci v i landPo l i t i c alRi g ht s ”.Japant hi nkst hati snoa mbi g ui t yabo utt he v ar i ousadv ant ag esoff r e e dom ofs pe ec h,butwi t hi tcomet headv e r s es t at e o fa ffai r st hatar ede t r i me nt alt ot hee v ol ut i o no ft hehumans o c i e t y . The r e f or e ,t omakebe s tus eoft hef r e e dom ofspe ec h,i ti ses s ent i alt oputa st opt oi t smi susebygroupst hatadvocat eoffensi vei deas,suchast er r ori sm, r aci sm,sexi sm,andf asci sm.
