Press freedom in Japan

　　日本資訊自由

　　A PARADISE for spies is how a former agent of the Soviet KGB described Japan in the1980s. Little has changed, though now the politicians and bureaucrats more often passinformation to journalists than to foreign agents. But this autumn Shinzo Abe, the primeminister, is trying to stop the leaks by passing a forceful new secrecy law, even as he seeksto pass economic reforms as part of his programme of measures known as Abenomics. Healso wants to legislate for a new national security council in order to centralise intelligenceinformation and speed decisions on national security. New rules on secrecy are needed forit to function well, says the government. The media, fearful for press freedom, are cryingfoul.

　　間諜的天堂，在80年代，潛伏日本蘇聯克格勃特工如此稱呼這個國度。到如今，天堂依然是天堂，只不過相比外國特工，政客與官員現在更多是把消息透露給記者。但這個秋天，安倍晉三首相決意推動一部新的強有力的保密法案，希望以此止住泄密。其認真程度，不下于他推動安倍經濟學中的經濟改革法案。他還想設立一個國家安全委員會，用以集中情報信息，便于對國家安全問題做出快速決策。政府稱，國家安全委員會需要新保密法案的支持。為資訊自由擔憂的媒體界高呼此舉違規。

　　Japan is much less punitive than other countries towards leakers. Civil servants who breachrules on confidentiality are currently liable to just one year in prison. Only officials ofJapans Self Defence Forces face the possibility of stricter punishment: five years for leakingdefence secrets, or ten if they are gleaned from Japans security pact with America.

　　相比其他國家，日本對泄密者的懲罰較輕。違規泄密的公務員只會被判一年徒刑。只有自衛隊的官員會遭受更嚴厲的懲罰：泄露軍事機密判5年，收集日美軍事關系情報的判10年。

　　The gap widened after the events of September 11th 2001, when security elsewherebecame tighter. This year America used its Espionage Act of 1917 to hand down a 35-yearprison sentence to Bradley Manning, a former soldier, for passing information to theWikiLeaks website. Previous Japanese governments have tried to clamp down, but memoriesof the feared wartime secrecy regime have caused moves to tighten the law to be blocked.

　　2001年911之后，全球各地的安全局勢變得緊張，而對軍人泄密的懲罰也隨之加重。今年，美國依照1917年制定的《反間諜法》，判處了布拉德利曼寧35五年監禁。這位曾經的軍人因向維基解密網站提供情報而獲罪。日本前幾任的政府都曾努力推動類似法案，但由于對戰時保密制度的恐懼記憶猶新，法案受到了阻撓。

　　Japans allies, especially America, complain that information entrusted to it is too oftenleaked, says Nobutaka Machimura, a former foreign minister who heads the ruling LiberalDemocratic Partys task-force on the law. If passed, the bill would apply to all civil servantsand to high-ranking politicians. Special secrets would be designated in three new fields ofdiplomacy, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism . Thepenalty for leaksalso applied to those who encourage breaches, such asjournalistswould be up to ten years in prison. Further details are scant, but the billreportedly lacks important provisions, including independent review of what can be calledsecret, and a clear limit on the period of confidentiality.

　　前任外務大臣，負責自民黨這次立法行動的町村信孝說，日本的盟國，尤其是美國，都抱怨說委托給日本的情報泄密過于頻繁。如果法案得以通過，那將適用于所有公務員，包括高級別的政治家。特秘情報包括外交、反間諜與反恐三方面。對泄密者的懲罰包括鼓動泄密的，譬如記者將是十年徒刑。具體細節仍然未知，但據說法案缺少一些重要條款，包括對機密定義的獨立審查，以及保密期長的限制。

　　That means the government could keep far more information under the veil than isnecessary, says Kiyoshi Gojima, deputy managing director of Sankei Shimbun, anewspaper. The public would have less access to information than before, to some degreereversing a campaign in recent years for greater government transparency.

　　《產經資訊》副社長Kiyoshi Gojima稱，這樣的法案意味著政府可能會秘密掌握太多信息，超出必要數目。公眾知情權更少了，這是對近年來要求更大政府透明度之潮流的一種顛覆。

　　In the field of diplomacy, for instance, the contents and outcome of summit meetingscould be kept firmly secret. Last month, Norika Fujiwara, a television celebrity, warned thatinformation relating to radiation from the meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plantin 2011 could be ruled off limits by the new law. An adviser to Mr Abe denied this wouldhappen.

　　以外交領域為例，首腦級會議的內容與結果都將保密。電視明星藤原紀香上個月警告說，與2011年福島核電站第一反應堆泄露有關的信息也將為新法所禁。安倍的一名顧問否認了這一點。

　　Another risk is that public officials will stop talking to journalists entirely, says Mr Gojima.That would be a big shift from the current system of privileged press clubs, in whichreporters have special channels to sources in the government and bureaucracy who pass oninside information. The current system needs reform, says Koichi Nakano of SophiaUniversity, but there is no need to jump to the other extreme.

　　另一風險是，公職官員會完全停止與記者的往來，Gojima如是說。這將極大地改變現有的特權資訊俱樂部體系，記者將再難通過特殊渠道從政府機構獲取信息。現有體系是需要改革，但也不需要走到另一個極端，上智大學政治學教授中野晃一如是說。

　　The final bill is expected to state the publics right to know, and to include a commitment topress freedom. The LDPs coalition partner, New Komeito, will insist on such amendments.But public opinion seems to be firmly against the law, so Mr Abe may face resistance, eventhough his government has a majority in both houses of parliament. One unwelcomeoutcome would be if the bill diverts government attention from economic reforms.

　　法案的最終版本將涉及公眾知情權，并包括對資訊自由的承諾。自民黨的盟友新公明黨將致力于完成這些修正。但公眾堅決反對這項方案。即便安倍在國會兩院都坐擁多數席位，他的前方仍有阻礙。如果這項法案分散了在經濟改革上的專注，那結果就不妙了。

　　Press freedom in Japan

　　日本資訊自由

　　A PARADISE for spies is how a former agent of the Soviet KGB described Japan in the1980s. Little has changed, though now the politicians and bureaucrats more often passinformation to journalists than to foreign agents. But this autumn Shinzo Abe, the primeminister, is trying to stop the leaks by passing a forceful new secrecy law, even as he seeksto pass economic reforms as part of his programme of measures known as Abenomics. Healso wants to legislate for a new national security council in order to centralise intelligenceinformation and speed decisions on national security. New rules on secrecy are needed forit to function well, says the government. The media, fearful for press freedom, are cryingfoul.

　　間諜的天堂，在80年代，潛伏日本蘇聯克格勃特工如此稱呼這個國度。到如今，天堂依然是天堂，只不過相比外國特工，政客與官員現在更多是把消息透露給記者。但這個秋天，安倍晉三首相決意推動一部新的強有力的保密法案，希望以此止住泄密。其認真程度，不下于他推動安倍經濟學中的經濟改革法案。他還想設立一個國家安全委員會，用以集中情報信息，便于對國家安全問題做出快速決策。政府稱，國家安全委員會需要新保密法案的支持。為資訊自由擔憂的媒體界高呼此舉違規。

　　Japan is much less punitive than other countries towards leakers. Civil servants who breachrules on confidentiality are currently liable to just one year in prison. Only officials ofJapans Self Defence Forces face the possibility of stricter punishment: five years for leakingdefence secrets, or ten if they are gleaned from Japans security pact with America.

　　相比其他國家，日本對泄密者的懲罰較輕。違規泄密的公務員只會被判一年徒刑。只有自衛隊的官員會遭受更嚴厲的懲罰：泄露軍事機密判5年，收集日美軍事關系情報的判10年。

　　The gap widened after the events of September 11th 2001, when security elsewherebecame tighter. This year America used its Espionage Act of 1917 to hand down a 35-yearprison sentence to Bradley Manning, a former soldier, for passing information to theWikiLeaks website. Previous Japanese governments have tried to clamp down, but memoriesof the feared wartime secrecy regime have caused moves to tighten the law to be blocked.

　　2001年911之后，全球各地的安全局勢變得緊張，而對軍人泄密的懲罰也隨之加重。今年，美國依照1917年制定的《反間諜法》，判處了布拉德利曼寧35五年監禁。這位曾經的軍人因向維基解密網站提供情報而獲罪。日本前幾任的政府都曾努力推動類似法案，但由于對戰時保密制度的恐懼記憶猶新，法案受到了阻撓。

　　Japans allies, especially America, complain that information entrusted to it is too oftenleaked, says Nobutaka Machimura, a former foreign minister who heads the ruling LiberalDemocratic Partys task-force on the law. If passed, the bill would apply to all civil servantsand to high-ranking politicians. Special secrets would be designated in three new fields ofdiplomacy, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism . Thepenalty for leaksalso applied to those who encourage breaches, such asjournalistswould be up to ten years in prison. Further details are scant, but the billreportedly lacks important provisions, including independent review of what can be calledsecret, and a clear limit on the period of confidentiality.

　　前任外務大臣，負責自民黨這次立法行動的町村信孝說，日本的盟國，尤其是美國，都抱怨說委托給日本的情報泄密過于頻繁。如果法案得以通過，那將適用于所有公務員，包括高級別的政治家。特秘情報包括外交、反間諜與反恐三方面。對泄密者的懲罰包括鼓動泄密的，譬如記者將是十年徒刑。具體細節仍然未知，但據說法案缺少一些重要條款，包括對機密定義的獨立審查，以及保密期長的限制。

　　That means the government could keep far more information under the veil than isnecessary, says Kiyoshi Gojima, deputy managing director of Sankei Shimbun, anewspaper. The public would have less access to information than before, to some degreereversing a campaign in recent years for greater government transparency.

　　《產經資訊》副社長Kiyoshi Gojima稱，這樣的法案意味著政府可能會秘密掌握太多信息，超出必要數目。公眾知情權更少了，這是對近年來要求更大政府透明度之潮流的一種顛覆。

　　In the field of diplomacy, for instance, the contents and outcome of summit meetingscould be kept firmly secret. Last month, Norika Fujiwara, a television celebrity, warned thatinformation relating to radiation from the meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plantin 2011 could be ruled off limits by the new law. An adviser to Mr Abe denied this wouldhappen.

　　以外交領域為例，首腦級會議的內容與結果都將保密。電視明星藤原紀香上個月警告說，與2011年福島核電站第一反應堆泄露有關的信息也將為新法所禁。安倍的一名顧問否認了這一點。

　　Another risk is that public officials will stop talking to journalists entirely, says Mr Gojima.That would be a big shift from the current system of privileged press clubs, in whichreporters have special channels to sources in the government and bureaucracy who pass oninside information. The current system needs reform, says Koichi Nakano of SophiaUniversity, but there is no need to jump to the other extreme.

　　另一風險是，公職官員會完全停止與記者的往來，Gojima如是說。這將極大地改變現有的特權資訊俱樂部體系，記者將再難通過特殊渠道從政府機構獲取信息。現有體系是需要改革，但也不需要走到另一個極端，上智大學政治學教授中野晃一如是說。

　　The final bill is expected to state the publics right to know, and to include a commitment topress freedom. The LDPs coalition partner, New Komeito, will insist on such amendments.But public opinion seems to be firmly against the law, so Mr Abe may face resistance, eventhough his government has a majority in both houses of parliament. One unwelcomeoutcome would be if the bill diverts government attention from economic reforms.

　　法案的最終版本將涉及公眾知情權，并包括對資訊自由的承諾。自民黨的盟友新公明黨將致力于完成這些修正。但公眾堅決反對這項方案。即便安倍在國會兩院都坐擁多數席位，他的前方仍有阻礙。如果這項法案分散了在經濟改革上的專注，那結果就不妙了。