Here is an English translation of the Asahi Shimbun news report on the official visit of the UN Human Rights High Commissioner to Japan
For the background and the ongoing points of argument of the case,
visit http://bit.ly/baENBi .
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Asahi (National) May 15th, 2010
UN Human Rights High Commissioner concerned about whale meat trial, "Investigation by NGO is important"
On 14 May, Navanethem Pillay, UN Human Rights High Commissioner, visiting Japan, expressed her concerns about the ongoing trial of two Greenpeace Japan members arrested and prosecuted for alleged theft of whale meat. Commissioner Pillay pointed out that the case was an issue of rights of freedom of expression and that of association.
She expressed the concern in an interview with Asahi newspaper. Those two were arrested for theft of whale meat from a warehouse of the transportation company. The box containing the meat was sent by a crew member to their homes. In the trial, the accused justified their conduct by claiming "it was to expose embezzlement by the crew members ".
Ms Pillay said, "The ability for NGOs to carry out investigations is very important for society, not only the Greenpeace case, but it should be respected in general. "
On the other hand she highly praised the fact that Prime Minister Hatoyama, whom she met on the 13th, said he was working to establish a human rights committee that would be independent from the Government. "More than 100 countries including 15 countries in the Asia Pacific region have already established such committee. A Human Rights Committee can give assistance in cases of human rights violations", she emphasised.
Article written by Daisuke Furuta
Appeared on Pg 8 International Section (with picture of Commissioner)
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The translation was provided by Sara Holden, Greenpeace International, with a minor amount of additional corrections and editing by Hosokawa K.
The original Japanese text of the article follows:
朝日新聞 2010年5月14日朝刊 第8面（国際）
国連人権弁務官 鯨肉裁判を憂慮 「ＮＧＯ調査は重要」
（ピレイ氏の写真）
来日中のナバネセム・ピレイ国連人権高等弁務官は14日、日本の調査捕鯨を告発する環境ＮＧＯ「グリーンピース・ジャパン」のメンバー2人が、鯨肉を盗んだ罪で逮捕、起訴され、公判中の事件に関して「言論と結社の問題だ」と語り、懸念を表明した。
朝日新聞との会見で発言した。2人は捕鯨船員が土産として自宅に送ろうとした鯨肉を運送会社の倉庫から盗んだとして逮捕された。公判では「船員による鯨肉横領を告発するためだった」と正当性を主張している。
ピレイ氏は「ＮＧＯによる調査は、社会にとって重要な役割。グリーンピースに限らず、一般的に尊重されるべきだ」と話した。
一方、13日に会談した鳩山由紀夫首相が、政府から独立した人権委員会の設置に取り組んでいる、と話したことを高く評価。「すでにアジア太平洋の15カ国を含む100カ国以上が設置している。人権委は、人権侵害の救済に役立つ」と強調した。
（古田大輔）
