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Human Rights Developments
Defending Human Rights
The Role of the International CommunityA report by a private consultant to the U.N., submitted to the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, was sharply critical of Japan on the “comfort women” issue, calling on Japan to criminally punish those responsible for the sex slavery as well as to pay compensation to the victims. A report by the U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, was more positive. While criticizing Tokyo for failing to acknowledge any legal responsibility, she gave the government credit for apologizing and expressing remorse to the women and for including reference to the sexual slavery in Japanese textbooks. Japan’s record of compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child was reviewed in June. The U.N. committee complained about the lack of an independent body to monitor children’s rights and raised concern about those in “vulnerable categories,” including Ainu and Korean ethnic minorities not fully integrated into government programs for children. It also urged protections for detained juveniles and called for development of a comprehensive plan to combat child prostitution and trafficking. Japan’s report on compliance with the International Covenant and Civil and Political Rights was scheduled for review by the Human Rights Committee in October. |
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