#Japan LDP Committee Resolution on #ComfortWomen and Global #InformationWarfare ( 英訳「朝日慰安婦報道に関する自民党国際情報検討委員会決議」) #主戦場

ORIGINAL RESOLUTION

TRANSLATION

TRANSLATED TEXT

Committee on Reevaluation of Global Information Strategy

Headquarters for Regional Diplomatic and Economic Partnership

Liberal Democratic Party

September 19, 2014

Resolution

The Asahi Shimbun has acknowledged to have made falsified reports on the ‘comfort women’ issue. The falsified reports communicated by the Asahi Shimbun have become the basis of global media coverage that have distorted the global perception of our history and as a result have seriously impaired our nation’s reputation and our national interest.

Although the public apology made by Asahi Shimbun is far from redeeming the honor of our people and serving our national interest, the facts about the so-called “forcible recruitment” of comfort women have now been refuted, along with the alleged sexual abuses.  So the ongoing installment of comfort women statues around the world has now completely lost their ground.

In the international community Japan has consistently aspired and acted out for peace and democracy. Thus, we must act resolutely to rectify these wrongful global perceptions.

What we must do is to consistently voice our rightful position as a nation, in an all-out effort, in the seat of UN and other venues of foreign diplomacy as well as in places of international dialogue. This voice is meaningless unless it is heard adequately and accurately by the global audience.

Despite our ongoing effort to strengthen disclosure of information and outreach in the international arena, rather than taking a 'neutral' or 'defensive' position we must take a more proactive role in communicating our information so as to protect our sovereignty and our interest. We must therefore establish a solid national information strategy and at the same time be vigilant against information and developments overseas so as to respond with agility. 

As a nation, we must firmly aim towards establishing an aggressive policy to that end.

Translation by Office BALÉS

SIDENOTE:

The interim report leading up to the "Resolution" was officially delivered to the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on 23 June 2014  and the Committee members met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as well. So the government had full knowledge of the report which led up to the adoption of the September committee resolution. However, this was of course before the Asahi revelation was made.

The work of the new committee set up on 27 March 2014 was not only welcome by the member of Cabinet on 19 June 2014, including Prime Minister Abe himself and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, but were "encouraged to bolster their activities" by PM Abe and appreciated "for the party's strong support" on areas of concern--information warfare--by FM Kishida.　Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga also commented with deep appreciation on 23 June saying, "Further effort will be most welcome!".

ORIGINAL TEXT (PDF)

平成26年9月19日

決議

自由民主党

外交・経済連携本部

国際情報検討委員会

　朝日新聞が慰安婦問題などにつき虚偽の報道であったことを認めた。朝日新聞が発信してきた虚偽の記事が国際的な情報メディアの根拠となり、国際社会が我が国歴史の認識を歪曲し、結果として我が国の評価、国益を著しく毀損した。朝日新聞の謝罪は国民の名誉と国益の回復には程遠いが、いわゆる慰安婦の「強制連行」の事実は否定され、性的虐待も否定されたので、世界各地で建設の続く慰安婦像の根拠も全く失われた。

　わが国は国際社会で一貫して平和と民主主義を希求し実践している。かかる誤った国際認識には断固として正していかなければならない。

　国連を始め全ての外交の場、また官民挙げての国際交流の中で、国としての正しい主張を訴え続けることが必要である。しかもその主張は国際社会に正確かつ十分に届かなければ全く意味がない。

　わが国は国際関係においても情報の公開や広報の充実強化に努めているが、国の主権や国益を守り抜くためには、単なる「中立」や「防御」の姿勢を改め、より積極的に情報発信を行う必要がある。国としての情報戦略を立てつつ、一方で諸外国の情報、動きを敏感に察知し国としての対応を機敏に行うことが必要である。

　国としてそのための積極的政策をしっかりと進めていかなければならない。　　　以上