SUFFRAGE UNIVERSEL - UNIVERSAL
SUFFRAGE
citoyenneté, démocratie, ethnicité,
nationalité - citizenship, democracy, ethnicity,
nationality
The political participation of foreigners in Japan - 2001
"With respect to civil rights, permanent residents should be given voting rights in local elections. Residents may not have Japanese citizenship, but they should have the right to cast a vote, since local government often has a direct effect on their daily lives. Needless to say, this means they should also be obliged to pay taxes.
As a more pluralistic democracy begins to take root, more foreigners are likely to live and work in Japan on a long-term basis. If so, it is possible that there will be an increase in the number of foreigners wishing to become Japanese nationals. If that is the case, it will be necessary to make it easier to acquire permanent-resident status or Japanese citizenship. "
MASARU KANEKO, Foreigners may spur pluralist democracy in Japan, Asahi Shimbun - Report 2001
Kono Urged to Address Row Over Textbooks, Local Suffrage
[Korean Information Service1-5-2001 16:27:30]
Seoul Friday (Jan. 5) urged Tokyo to pay more attention to clearing obstacles to the development of bilateral ties, such as a prolonged impasse in granting local suffrage to permanent Korean residents in Japan and moves to include allegedly biased views in Japanese history textbooks.
Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn made the remarks to his Japanese counterpart Yohei Kono in a phone call marking the start of the New Year.
Lee called for Japan¡¯s ¡°thoughtful considerations¡± on those issues, which emerged as obstacles to the development of future-oriented ties.
¡°Despite the minister¡¯s appeal, there is a slimmer chance of the bill on local suffrage being passed at the Diet this year,¡± a ministry official said.
Originally, many Japanese politicians sought to pass legislation last year to grant permanent Korean residents the right to vote in local elections, but failed to win approval from a few political leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party.
In 1998, Japan¡¯s three ruling coalition parties reached a consensus concerning the awarding of more political rights to Koreans, many of whom have lived there since World War II.
With regard to the controversy over school textbooks, Seoul already expressed concerns over a Japanese move to produce school textbooks that contain what it sees as distorted or erroneous descriptions of Japan¡¯s modern history, especially about its occupation of the Korean peninsula.
In fact, the compilation of Japan¡¯s textbooks has been one of the long-running diplomatic issues between Seoul and Tokyo and between Beijing and Tokyo, because the Japanese government and private textbook producers have tried to play down or distort Japan¡¯s role in World War II, which is regarded by Korea and China as a war of aggression that afflicted atrocities on the citizens of neighboring countries.
Last year, a fraternity of rightist scholars in Japan authored a middle school textbook, containing many controversial descriptions, which has now been submitted to the Education Ministry for authorization. If it is authorized, it can be adopted as a school textbook beginning in 2002.
The textbook contains allegedly erroneous descriptions of such issues as the so-called ¡°comfort women,¡± or wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, and its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
At present, among eight history textbooks that are authorized by the ministry, Japanese local governments can choose one textbook for the schools that are under their jurisdiction.
Japanese Foreign Min. Urged to Address Row Over Textbooks, Local Suffrage
By Son Key-young Staff Reporter
Seoul yesterday urged Tokyo to pay more attention to clearing obstacles to the development of bilateral ties, such as a prolonged impasse in granting local suffrage to permanent Korean residents in Japan and moves to include allegedly biased views in Japanese history textbooks.
Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn made the remarks to his Japanese counterpart Yohei Kono in a phone call marking the start of the New Year.
Lee called for Japan's ``thoughtful considerations'' on those issues, which emerged as obstacles to the development of future-oriented ties.
``Despite the minister's appeal, there is a slimmer chance of the bill on local suffrage being passed at the Diet this year,'' a ministry official said.
Originally, many Japanese politicians sought to pass legislation last year to grant permanent Korean residents the right to vote in local elections, but failed to win approval from a few political leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party.
In 1998, Japan's three ruling coalition parties reached a consensus concerning the awarding of more political rights to Koreans, many of whom have lived there since World War II.
With regard to the controversy over school textbooks, Seoul already expressed concerns over a Japanese move to produce school textbooks that contain what it sees as distorted or erroneous descriptions of Japan's modern history, especially about its occupation of the Korean peninsula.
In fact, the compilation of Japan's textbooks has been one of the long- running diplomatic issues between Seoul and Tokyo and between Beijing and Tokyo, because the Japanese government and private textbook producers have tried to play down or distort Japan's role in World War II, that is regarded by Korea and China as a war of aggression, that afflicted atrocities on citizens of neighboring countries.
Last year, a fraternity of rightist scholars in Japan authored a middle school textbook, containing many controversial descriptions, which has now been submitted to the Education Ministry for authorization. If it is authorized, it can be adopted as a school textbook from 2002.
The textbook contains allegedly erroneous descriptions of such issues as the ``comfort women,'' or wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, and its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
At present, among eight history textbooks that are authorized by the ministry, Japanese local governments can choose one textbook for the schools that are under their jurisdiction.
skyquick@koreatimes.co.kr
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