ニュース 2009/08/06 Comment regarding Secretary General Okada’s remarks cited in an article published in the Japanese version of the People’s Daily Online On August 6, the Director General of the DPJ International Department Tetsundo Iwakuni issued the following comment: Recently, an article published in the Japanese version of the Chinese People’s Daily Online stated that “Secretary General Katsuya Okada commented regarding the issues of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region: ‘These are Chinese domestic issues. The Democratic Party of Japan should not interfere in China’s domestic affairs.’” This article quotes remarks made by DPJ Secretary General Okada in an interview conducted on August 3 with Japan-based foreign correspondents for Chinese media organisations. However, the article highlights just one small part of the comments made by Okada, and is thus lacking in accuracy. Consequently, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the unabridged version of Okada’s remarks. I believe that if you look this over, you will be able to understand the thrust of his comments. Excerpt from Secretary General Okada’s interview with the Chinese media August 3, 2009, at DPJ Headquarters [Question on Tibet and the Uighur region from reporter] Okada: Tibet is basically a Chinese domestic issue. Therefore, I believe that we need to take care not to make comments about it that could be construed as interference in Chinese domestic affairs. However, with regard to Tibet, and this is something that also applies to the Uighur region, if massive violations of human rights are occurring, then that is a matter the international community should comment on, it being a violation of human rights by an individual nation. I think that this is only natural from our value perspective. I’d like to ask the Chinese side, rather than simply objecting, to understand [the situation] from the perspective of human rights, which are common values held by all human beings.