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FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
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INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
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RHMFIUU/USFJ //J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
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RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6621
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2617
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2747
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TOKYO 003285
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA;
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION;
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN,
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR;
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 12/02/08
INDEX:
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties (Nikkei)
(2) DPJ President Ozawa to call on all ruling, opposition parties to
join caretaker cabinet (Asahi)
(3) Futenma not in action (Okinawa Times)
(4) Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and
Adolescents: Viewing child porn, manga depicting such to be
criminalized; Simple possession of child porn unpunishable in Japan
(Mainichi)
ARTICLES:
(1) Poll on Aso cabinet, political parties
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
December 1, 2008
Questions & Answers
(Figures shown in percentage. Parentheses denote findings for the
Aso cabinet from the last survey conducted in October.)
Q: Do you support the new Aso cabinet?
Yes 31 (48)
No 62 (43)
Can't say (C/S) + don't know (D/K) 7 (9)
Q: Which political party do you support or like now?
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 39 (41)
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 30 (31)
New Komeito (NK) 5 (3)
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 3 (5)
Social Democratic Party (SDP or Shaminto) 1 (2)
People's New Party (PNP or Kokumin Shinto) 0 (0)
Reform Club (RC or Kaikaku Kurabu) 0 (0)
New Party Nippon (NPN or Shinto Nippon) 0 (0)
Other political parties 0 (0)
None 15 (11)
C/S+D/K 6 (6)
(Note) The total percentage does not become 100 PERCENT in some
cases due to rounding
Polling methodology: The survey was taken Nov. 28-30 by Nikkei
Research Inc. by telephone on a random digit dialing (RDD) basis.
For the survey, samples were chosen from among men and women aged 20
and over across the nation. A total of 1,559 households with one or
more eligible voters were sampled, and answers were obtained from
938 persons (60.2 PERCENT ).
(2) DPJ President Ozawa to call on all ruling, opposition parties to
join caretaker cabinet
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full)
December 2, 2008
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa decided yesterday to
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call on all ruling and opposition parties to join a caretaker
cabinet, keeping an early resignation of Prime Minister Aso in mind.
Ozawa envisions a plan to form a provisional cabinet tasked with
immediately dissolving the House of Representatives and managing
such minimum necessary state affairs as crisis management until a
new government is launched. Ozawa intends to carefully watch the
political situation and then make the proposal to each political
party during party head talks and on other occasions.
Public support for the Aso cabinet has sharply plummeted in public
surveys conducted by press companies recently. DPJ members take the
view that the Aso administration will not last long. In forcing the
prime minister to step down quickly, the DPJ will emphasize, in an
attempt to further tear up the LDP, that Aso is the fourth prime
minister of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to come into office
without a voter mandate, violating the accepted norms of
constitutional government.
Ozawa told reporters yesterday in Kumagaya City, Saitama
Prefecture:
"Under the current situation, I wonder how long the Aso cabinet will
be able to survive. If Prime Minister Aso steps down, it will become
inconceivable for the LDP and the New Komeito to assume political
power in rotation, only with member changes. ... The next cabinet
will be responsible only for carrying out an election. If a general
election is held under a caretaker cabinet, each political party's
view will be coincident."
Under the Ozawa initiative, ruling and opposition parties,
immediately after Aso quits, would form a consensus to break the
impasse through Diet dissolution and promptly dissolve the Lower
House. Ozawa reportedly said in a recent party executive meeting:
"The Aso administration will not be able to survive in the ordinary
Diet session in January. It is essential to consider how a caretaker
cabinet should be established. There is an idea of forming a cabinet
involving all political parties, namely, a grand coalition."
Aso has indicated that the government will not dissolve the Lower
House before the fiscal 2009 budget bill is enacted next spring, but
Ozawa is determined to continue to call through year's end for an
early Diet dissolution. While looking at the government losing
momentum, Ozawa hopes to make preparations to set up a post-Aso
mechanism.
Even so, there is no possibility of the ruling camp agreeing to the
Ozawa initiative. It is also uncertain whether the DPJ will be able
to obtain cooperation from other opposition parties. The DPJ intends
to explore the appropriate timing for presenting the Ozawa proposal,
while reflecting public opinion over an early Diet dissolution and
moves in the political world. The party also is willing to secure
more sympathizers by stressing that the main opposition party should
assume political power if the cabinet loses public trust, in
accordance with the procedures of constitutional government.
(3) Futenma not in action
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 2) (Full)
December 2, 2008
GINOWAN-The Japan-U.S. Special Action Committee on Facilities and
Areas in Okinawa, or SACO for short, finalized a report 12 years ago
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today, aiming to realign and reduce the presence of U.S. military
bases in Okinawa. The SACO report referred to an intergovernmental
agreement between Japan and the United States to return the site of
the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station into local hands within
5-7 years. However, Futenma airfield has yet to be returned, with no
change even now in the situation where U.S. military aircrafts are
still flying over the densely populated area. In January next year,
U.S. President-elect Obama will be sworn in and his administration
will come into office. Ginowan City, which hosts Futenma airfield,
is looking forward to seeing a 'change' in the situation through the
Obama administration. However, there is no knowing if the airfield
will be returned at an early date as proposed by the city.
The SACO decision to return Futenma airfield has been incorporated
in the Bush administration's roadmap to realign U.S. forces in
Japan. The Japanese government initially planned to relocate the
heliport functions of Futenma airfield to a site in waters 2.2
kilometers off the Henoko district of Nago City. The government
later changed the initial relocation plan to the current one for
laying down a V-shaped pair of airstrips (in a coastal area of Camp
Schwab). The Japanese and U.S. governments have announced that
Futenma airfield will be returned after its relocation is completed
in 2014.
However, Okinawa Prefecture and Nago City, which basically agree to
relocate Futenma airfield, disagree to the current plan on building
a land-based alternative facility. Okinawa Prefecture and its
base-hosting municipalities, including Nago City, have consulted
with the government, seeking to move the planned relocation site of
Futenma airfield to an offshore area. However, the government is not
expected to concur on the local proposal of Futenma airfield's
offshore relocation. Meanwhile, the United States also plans to
relocate Okinawa-based Marines to Guam, which is said to be in a
package with the return of Futenma airfield. The cost of this Guam
relocation is likely to be higher than estimated by the Japanese and
U.S. governments, and the Futenma relocation plan is being clouded
over in its entirety.
In 2004, Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha formulated an action program for
the return of Futenma airfield within five years. The action program
calls for Futenma airfield to be returned by 2008. However, the
situation is extremely difficult.
Ginowan City is placing its hopes on Obama's administration for a
change. "His administration is in a position that can easily change
the framework created by the Bush administration," Iha says. "It's
time for the people of Okinawa Prefecture to cry out (for the return
of Futenma airfield)," he added.
In 2007, the Japanese and U.S. governments reset the traffic pattern
of helicopters to and from Futenma airfield as a measure to remove
its danger. In this regard, Iha claims that Futenma-based choppers
have ignored this bilateral arrangement of flight paths. In late
August this year, the Defense Ministry's Okinawa bureau monitored
aircraft flying to and from Futenma airfield. The mayor has worked
on the government in trying to explore ways to remove the airfield's
danger. U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) has worked out what is called the
"Japan Environmental Governing Standards (JEGS)," and the city of
Ginowan is strongly calling for the JEGS to be observed. However,
this remains unable to obtain the government's understanding.
To find a way out of the impasse, Iha and other municipal officials
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will work out a third action program in 2009. They are also
considering bringing up the Futenma issue to an international
institution from the perspective of human rights.
The Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) has set forth its "Okinawa
vision," which advocates relocating Futenma airfield elsewhere
outside Okinawa Prefecture or Japan. In this respect, the city of
Ginowan is also putting its hopes on the DPJ for a change of
government. However, the political situation at home is uncertain.
There is no knowing if it will lead to the early return of Futenma
airfield.
(4) Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and
Adolescents: Viewing child porn, manga depicting such to be
criminalized; Simple possession of child porn unpunishable in Japan
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Abridged slightly)
December 2, 2008
The Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and
Adolescents was held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from November 25
through 28. Participants compiled a strict action plan that
regulates access to child porn and obtaining such as well as viewing
child porn and materials that depict explicit images of sexually
abused children, including manga and anime. In Japan, the simple
possession of child porn and materials depicting such is not
punishable. The delay in Japan's approach was visible at the
congress.
UNICEF Chief of Secretariat Ann Veneman at the outset of the
congress on November 25, joined by about 3,000 delegates from 125
countries, including Japan, called on participating countries to
promote measures, noting: "Child pornography is the most serious of
all cases that infringe on the rights of children. The threat is
internationally spreading on the Internet."
Brazilian President Lula during the meeting made a public appeal on
his strict stance, by signing his country's law that makes the
simple possession of child porn punishable. He noted, "It is a
disgrace to human beings to leave such a crime unattended."
The meeting made an issue over the present situation, in which
communications technologies, such as cell phones and file-swapping
software, are being used for the production and distribution of
child porn. One delegate reported that victimized children are found
all over the world due to the collapse of the conventional pattern
of industrialized countries victimizing developing countries.
Given such a situation, delegates decided to adopt a zero-tolerance
policy of absolutely disallowing child porn. In compiling a new
action plan, they decided to criminalize not only making, providing
and possessing images of child porn but also viewing such. The
action plan also notes that child porn includes manga and anime that
depict virtual images or sexual exploitation of children. The action
plan has no legal binding force. However, participating countries
will have to tackle child porn on their own.
Japan was criticized at the first congress for many sex tours and
child porn being available. In 1999, the Diet enacted the child
prostitution law. In 2001, Japan strengthened anti-child porn
measures through such efforts as to hold the second congress in
Yokohama. However, the simple possession of child porn is still
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legal in Japan. In view of the freedom of expression, materials that
do not depict victimized children are unpunishable in Japan. Among
the G-8 nations, only Japan and Russia do not regulate the simple
possession of child porn. The U.S., Germany and France already
regulate materials that depict child porn as well.
Regional Director for UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Nils
Kastberg made a harsh remark on Japan: "It has been seven years
since the Yokohama congress, and Japan has yet to regulate the
simple possession of child porn. This is a problem. I want Japan to
seriously consider placing a ban on child porn, including viewing
such as well."
Many countries throughout world cooperating for investigation
Saitama prefectural police launched investigation into a case
involving child porn using the e-Mule, file-swapping software, in
July this year. Information, which led to the investigation, was
provided to the National Police Agency through the International
Criminal Police Organization (ICPO). Seventy-five countries are now
investigating this case in cooperation.
The shared folder of the e-Mule has moving images of child porn.
Users can obtain images freely. Three men, who kept moving images in
the folder, were arrested on suspicion of violating the child
prostitution law.
There were about 200 accesses a day from all over the world to some
of the moving images in that software, meaning that the images of
Japanese children being sexually exploited having flown outside the
country. It is impossible to retrieve those images.
Diet in confusion: No discussion on child porn
The ruling parties in June this year submitted a bill amending the
child prostitution law designed to criminalize the simple possession
of child porn to satisfy curiosity. The Democratic Party of Japan
(DPJ) also compiled an amendment bill to regulate the simple
possession of child porn, limiting punishable cases to the obtaining
of such for value and repeated acquisitions of such. The Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) and the DPJ had agreed to hold amendment
talks. However, with confrontation between the ruling and opposition
parties heightening over a Lower House dissolution since the
inauguration of the Aso cabinet, the DPJ has postponed the
submission of the bill. No talks have been held since then.
While the domestic move to criminalize the simple possession of
child porn coming to a standstill, delegates to the Rio decided to
criminalize viewing child porn and materials that depict such,
leaving Japan further behind. Some ruling party members made a
remark in a resigned manner that it cannot be helped if the
situation in the Diet is taken into account, though the world is
going ahead of Japan.
SCHIEFFER