The Justice Ministry is preparing legislation to create a powerful human rights commission that would recommend corrective measures, assist in lawsuits and take other steps to help victims of discrimination, abuse and other human rights violations. The government, which plans to send a related bill to the Diet this month, wants to launch the panel by the middle of 2003.
The draft bill in the works covers a broad range of human rights violations in the public service, employment, education and other areas of social life. Relief would be available to those who have suffered undue discrimination on grounds of race, sex, disability and other reasons; those who have been hurt by acts that encourage such discrimination; and those who have been subjected to abuse and other rights violations.
Acts that encourage discrimination include openly stating either discriminatory information or the will to use such information. For example, putting out publications naming locations of the "burakumin" (a minority group of Japanese who have suffered prejudice and discrimination) or posting shop signs barring the entry of foreigners would be prohibited.