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Suppression of free speech in Japan

Astroboy

先輩
5 Dec 2007
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There were many plain-clothes policeman during street speech of Democratic Party Japan (民主党) in front of JR Shimbashi station. It shoud be all right because of security reason.
However, when two men showed up with placards telling "We wish end of DPJ-led government" in the rear of audience, these two men (Japanese citizens) were surrounded by those plain-clothes policement and moved forced to move back to remote place and put them unseeable. Reportedly, one of them were arrested later.

[video=youtube_share;3X2r29iAgto]
 
It all seemed quite amiably done until the guy in the plaid coat started getting rough with the uniformed officers. Not how you want to do it.
 
judging from the police response, it's a good thing there were only a few protesters or the entire city would be drained of peace officers.
 
judging from the police response, it's a good thing there were only a few protesters or the entire city would be drained of peace officers.

That's right. Generally speaking, Japan is a country of low-tension on self-assertiveness.
 
People in Japan have increasingly been frustrated with Mass-Media (especially TV, Newspaper) because Japanese Mass-Media tend to flatter authority to enjoy their monopolistic status in the media business. As a result, although Japanese Media are sensitive about freedom of the press, the media helps authority via "freedom of not-reporting" and neglect mistakes/negative impacts of the authorities and did not report to the public.

However, in these days, people are more aware about those Media sabotage "freedom of not-reporting" as people can obtain information via internet and social networking. ..... So, today the Japanese Mass-Media is often called "Mass-Gomi (crap)" and looked down by the people in Japan.

Below Youtube video shows one of the examples that a certain TV news media van was surrounded and blamed by the public in Shimbashi on Dec 19.

[video=youtube_share;944gOc1Ifrg]
 
Politically aligned/serving Mass-Media is a problem everywhere these days. Maybe it always has been a problem, but these days individuals are able to get the word out via the internet when in the past there wasn't a way to let a lot of people know what was going on. I think its one of the improvements that has helped out the most in outing abuse of power, corruption, greed, and dark secrets. Still, its kind of sad that you can't trust a lot of what the news says these days if there is anyway it can be related to politics. :(
 
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