Defending a free press

報道の自由を守れ

The concern for security is real. It would be anachronistic, however, if the agency believed that muzzling the media would serve the objective of the SDF mission, or even the national interest. During World War II, the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army provided false reports of "brilliant victories" even while Japanese forces were losing. Times have changed, but the lesson is the same: Disinformation is counterproductive.

This is the first time that SDF troops have been dispatched to a country embroiled in conflict. That is all the more reason why the Japanese public — and the world at large — needs to be kept informed about what the troops are doing in Iraq. Yet the Defense Agency kept silent on the arrival there of an advance team of ground troops who would lay the groundwork for a full deployment in Iraq.

History shows amply that a government that hides truths from its people and tells them only what it likes leads the nation in the wrong direction. A free press is the foundation of a sound democracy.

At his news conference Jan. 9, when he ordered the dispatch of the advance team, Mr. Ishiba called for media restraint with respect to a broad range of items, such as numbers of troops and quantities of equipment, locations of units and areas of their activities, matters concerning their future activities, information about forces from other countries, matters relating to the lives and safety of troops, and "other matters specified by the units and others."

It is difficult to understand why such an extensive restraint should be imposed on the media. The Defense Agency is trying to control information. In what appeared to be a related development, the agency told media organizations that regular news conferences by the chiefs of staff of the Air, Ground and Maritime Self-Defense forces would be discontinued. The reason given for this — that other government offices give such scheduled briefings less often — is not convincing.

The important thing is to respect the public's right to know. That is especially important because the SDF mission in Iraq — helping with humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in a high-risk country — is different from previous U.N.-backed peacekeeping operations. It is, indeed, a historic mission that may well lead to a redefinition of Japan's defensive security policy.

SDF activities need to be reported accurately from various angles. Questions are many. First, what are SDF troops doing, or planning to do, in Samawah, their main location? How are they contributing to reconstruction? How would they defend themselves against a terrorist attack? What do they think of their duties? What do Iraqis think of the troop presence?

Answers to these and other questions could be biased if reporting is restricted. The SDF is going to Iraq to help rebuild the country, not to wage war, as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said time and again.

Disclosure about SDF activities, combined with unrestricted reporting, not only will reinforce that message and the legitimacy of troop deployment, but will reduce or dispel public doubts and anxieties about it. Hopefully, it will improve the perception of the SDF dispatch held by the people of Iraq and other nations.

Freedom of the press, however, is not unlimited. Given the volatile security situation in Iraq, it is only natural that the media should take into account the risks that face SDF troops and other personnel. Indeed, there is always a need for self-restraint in reporting events that involve the lives and safety of people. In Iraq, special caution is needed.

Still, the restraint must be voluntary. It is not something that can be imposed under the authority of government. Plainly, the media must hold themselves responsible for what they report. Government-controlled information provided in the name of safety can do more harm than good.

The Japan Times Weekly
Jan. 31, 2004
(C) All rights reserved

      安全問題は非常に重大であるが、報道規制が自衛隊派遣の目的、あるいは国益にかなうというのであれば時代錯誤的である。第二次世界大戦中に大本営は、日本軍が敗走しているときにも「大勝利」を偽った発表をしていた。時代は変わったが、情報操作が逆効果であることに変わりはない。

      戦闘が続く国に自衛隊が派遣されたのは初めてであり、国民と世界の人々はその活動について知る権利がある。

      真実を隠し、都合のよいことばかり宣伝する政府が国家を誤った方向に導くことは歴史が示している。報道の自由は健全な民主主義の基礎である。

      石破長官は1月9日、自衛隊先遣隊のイラク派遣命令を発表するにあたり、派遣隊員数、使用武器の内容・数量、今後の活動などの詳細情報についての報道の自粛を求めた。

      重要なことは国民の知る権利を尊重することである。今回の自衛隊派遣の目的は、危険地域での人道援助と復興支援で、これまでの国連平和維持活動への参加とは性質が異なる。

      在イラク自衛隊の活動はいろいろな角度から正確に報道する必要がある。情報開示と自由な報道は自衛隊派遣の正当性を裏づけ、国民の疑念を解く。

      ただ、報道の自由は無制限ではない。イラクの不安定な治安情勢をふまえ、報道にあたっては自衛隊やその活動にかかわる要員が直面する危険を十分考慮すべきだ。人間の生命、安全に影響する情報については当然、報道の自粛が必要である。

      それでも、報道制限は自発的に行うもので、政府が押付けるものではない。各社は自己責任で報道をすることを求められる。政府が行う情報統制は利よりも害が多い。