The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Friday raised concerns over the lack of legislation against racial discrimination and persistent racial discrimination issues in Japan.

In its concluding observation on the periodic report of Japan on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the committee concerned over Japan's absence of a specific and comprehensive law prohibiting racial discrimination which, if exists, would enable victims to seek appropriate legal redress.

As for the position taken by Japanese government that such a law would conflict with the freedom of speech, Anwar Kemal, member of the committee, stressed to a press conference that "the speech freedom does not give people a license to spread hatred which might result in violence against a group of people."

In addition, the committee, a body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention by its state parties, drew attention to the spread of hate speech against foreigners or minorities including incitement to imminent violence by right-wing movements or groups in Japan, alerting that certain statements amounting to hate speech and incitement to hatred are even made by Japanese public officials and politicians.

The committee particularly noted that such acts are always perpetrated with impunity, calling for Japanese authorities to take concrete measures to bring the perpetrators to justice, address the root cause of racist hate speech and strengthen measures of teaching, education, culture and information to avoid the repetition.

"Comfort women" was another issue on the table.

Anastasia Crickley, vice chairperson of the committee, highlighted that human rights violations against surviving victims persist as long as their rights to justice and reparation are not fully realized.

"What we are asking the Japanese government to do is to conclude investigations into violations of the rights of comfort women by the Japanese military, and to bring to justice to those responsible, and to pursue a comprehensive and lasting resolution to these issues which have been ongoing for a very considerable period of time," said Crickley.

The committee also requested Japan to make sincere apology and the provision of adequate reparation to all surviving comfort women and their families, and condemned any attempt at defamation of victims or denial of such events. Enditem

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