SDHF Newsletter No.166 Japanese Academics Express Serious Concerns

Japanese Academics Express Serious Concerns Regarding the “Preliminary Observations by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression”

May 4, 2017

As reported in our previous newsletter, Newsletter No.159, Professor David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur, issued a “Preliminary Observations on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression” at a press conference held on April 16, 2016 in Tokyo.
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/open04.pdf

The Preliminary Observations contained numerous serious errors, and these errors could be perpetuated as truths should the report be finalized in its current form.
On January 25, 2017, ‘Viewers and Listeners for Legal Compliance in Broadcasting’ sent an “Open Letter” to Prof. Kaye.
　https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Open-Letter-to-Prof-Kaye.pdf
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Statement-on-the-Reporters-Without-Borders-World-Press-Freedom-Index-and-on-Special-UN-Rapporteur-David-Kaye.pdf

On February 20, 2017, the ‘Alliance for Truth about Comfort Women,’ which is comprised of 15 private organizations, also sent an open letter to Professor Kaye, with carbon copies to the UN High Commissioners for Human Rights and President of the Human Rights Council:
　 URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/essay-article/920/
　　PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Open-Letter-to-Prof.-David-Kate.pdf

On May 2, 2017, the “Academic Alliance for Correcting Groundless Criticisms of Japan” (AACGCJ) held a press conference at the Press Center in Tokyo to admonish the “Preliminary Report” by David Kaye.
Two documents were distributed at the conference:

1. Japanese Academics’ Statement on the Preliminary Report
　　URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/opinion-article/945/
PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/2017-05-02-Statement-on-UN-D.-Kaye.pdf
2. Japanese Academics’ Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner
URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/opinion-article/947/
PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/2017-05-02-Open-Letter-to-UNHCHR.pdf

Questions are welcome.

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Acting Chairman
for KASE Hideaki, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact