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▼ Japan PM Vows To Tackle Discrimination In Rebuke Of LDP Lawmaker
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised to address discrimination against ethnic and sexual minorities whose human rights have been abused in recent years in an apparent admonishment of an outspoken lawmaker within his Liberal Democratic Party.
"As prime minister, I will decisively tackle unjustifiable discrimination and prejudice," Kishida said, without mentioning concrete steps, in a video message released during an online symposium earlier this month.
In 2022, Mio Sugita, a House of Councillors member of the ruling party, was replaced by Kishida as a parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs for her past blog post about female participants at a U.N. gathering.
At the meeting on the elimination of discrimination, Sugita referred to individuals dressed in Korean or Ainu attire as "middle-aged cosplayers."
She continued to make similar comments even after being forced to leave the Cabinet.
Two regional legal affairs bureaus have recognized Sugita's remarks about ethnicity as human rights abuses. Meanwhile, pundits noted Sugita has received support from some conservative voters in Japan who champion the country's traditional mono-ethnic values.
Human rights activists and opposition lawmakers have raised doubts about Kishida's commitment to resolving discrimination issues, pointing out his reluctance to criticize the controversial lawmaker within his own LDP who has faced criticism for other discriminatory remarks.
Kishida said it is "not rare" in Japan for foreign residents, the disabled, Ainu indigenous people, and others to experience discrimination when seeking jobs, finding housing and engaging in online activities, adding such things are "totally unacceptable."
Apparently considering the Ainu people from Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido and those with Korean backgrounds, Kishida pledged to create a community where "all people can live safely and securely, and human dignity is respected."
At a parliamentary session earlier this month, however, Kishida did not criticize Sugita, saying his government refrains from touching on what individual lawmakers say.
Sugita also came under fire in 2018 for saying in a magazine article that the government should not support sexual-minority couples because they cannot produce offspring and thus are not "productive."
"As prime minister, I will decisively tackle unjustifiable discrimination and prejudice," Kishida said, without mentioning concrete steps, in a video message released during an online symposium earlier this month.
In 2022, Mio Sugita, a House of Councillors member of the ruling party, was replaced by Kishida as a parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs for her past blog post about female participants at a U.N. gathering.
At the meeting on the elimination of discrimination, Sugita referred to individuals dressed in Korean or Ainu attire as "middle-aged cosplayers."
She continued to make similar comments even after being forced to leave the Cabinet.
Two regional legal affairs bureaus have recognized Sugita's remarks about ethnicity as human rights abuses. Meanwhile, pundits noted Sugita has received support from some conservative voters in Japan who champion the country's traditional mono-ethnic values.
Human rights activists and opposition lawmakers have raised doubts about Kishida's commitment to resolving discrimination issues, pointing out his reluctance to criticize the controversial lawmaker within his own LDP who has faced criticism for other discriminatory remarks.
Kishida said it is "not rare" in Japan for foreign residents, the disabled, Ainu indigenous people, and others to experience discrimination when seeking jobs, finding housing and engaging in online activities, adding such things are "totally unacceptable."
Apparently considering the Ainu people from Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido and those with Korean backgrounds, Kishida pledged to create a community where "all people can live safely and securely, and human dignity is respected."
At a parliamentary session earlier this month, however, Kishida did not criticize Sugita, saying his government refrains from touching on what individual lawmakers say.
Sugita also came under fire in 2018 for saying in a magazine article that the government should not support sexual-minority couples because they cannot produce offspring and thus are not "productive."
- 13/2 20:46
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