Prof. Yamashita’s speech at UN Human Rights Committee

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The United Nations Human Rights Council
June 16, 2017
NGO: International Career Support Association
―ProfessorYAMASHITA Eiji
Japan’s Freedom of Expression
UN Special Rapporteur David Kaye’s Report on freedom of expression in Japan praises Japan’s high degree of freedom on the Internet, but shows great concerns regarding thefreedom of broadcast and print media, among others. For mostpeople,includingnon-Japanese living in Japan, Mr. Kaye’sviewsare sharply at odds with reality. In fact, Mr.Kaye’s views closely resemblethose of the Japanese Communist Party.
It seems to us that Mr. Kaye has beenstrongly influenced by a handful of anti-Japan extremists livingin Japan and abroad, particularly in the United States. We 2

have some corroboration for this claim. For example, Mr. Kayeand University of Connecticut Professor Alexis Dudden held a two-person debriefing dialogue titled “Threatsto Freedom of Speech in Japan”at Mr. Kaye’s home institution, theUniversity of California-Irvine,shortly after his Preliminary Reportwas releasedlast April. Prof.Dudden is a notoriouslongtimeJapan basher with deep animus towards Japanese Prime Minister Abe.
Given this bias, we areseriously concerned that the Kaye Report will be anotherCoomaraswamy Report,which also containsmany grave errors of fact.The 1996 Coomaraswamy Report’s association with the UN has giventhese grave errors spreadthroughout the world. The UNHuman Rights Council should withdraw the Coomaraswamy Report, andshouldnot accept theDavid Kaye Report.