The government is apparently trying to restrict media coverage of the Self-Defense Forces' activities in Iraq. Earlier this month, the director general of the Defense Agency, Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, requested that newspapers, news agencies and networks exercise "self-restraint." He said he was only "asking" for their understanding, but it was unusual for such a request to be officially made by the nation's defense chief.

The concern for security is real. It would be anachronistic, however, if the agency believed that muzzling the media would serve the objective of the SDF mission, or even the national interest. During World War II, the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army provided false reports of "brilliant victories" even while Japanese forces were losing. Of course, times have changed, but the lesson remains the same: Disinformation is counterproductive.

This is the first time that SDF troops have been dispatched to a country still embroiled in conflict. That is all the more reason why the Japanese public -- and the world at large -- needs to be kept reasonably informed about what the troops are doing in Iraq. Yet the Defense Agency kept silent on the arrival there of an advance team of troops who would lay the groundwork for a full deployment in southeastern Iraq.

History shows amply that a government that hides truths from its people and tells them only what it likes leads the nation in the wrong direction. A free press is the foundation of a sound democracy. The Defense Agency should drop the request and provide as much information as possible about SDF activities.

At his press conference on Jan. 9, when he ordered the dispatch of the advance team, Mr. Ishiba called for media restraint with respect to a broad range of items, including numbers of troops and quantities of equipment, locations of units and areas of their activities, future activities of the troops, information about forces from other countries, matters relating to the lives and safety of troops, and "other matters specified by units and others."

It is difficult to understand why such an extensive restraint should be imposed on the press. The Defense Agency, its polite request notwithstanding, is trying to control information. In what appeared to be a related development, the agency also told media organizations that regular press conferences by the chiefs of staff of the Air, Ground and Maritime Self-Defense Forces would be discontinued. The reason given for this -- that other government offices give such scheduled briefings less often -- is far from convincing.

The important thing is to respect the public's right to know. That is especially important because the SDF mission in Iraq -- helping with humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in a high-risk country -- is different from previous U.N.-backed peacekeeping operations. It is, indeed, a historic mission that may well lead to a redefinition of Japan's exclusively defensive security policy.

SDF activities need to be reported accurately from various angles. Questions are many. First, what are SDF troops doing, or planning to do, in Samawah, their main location? How are they contributing to reconstruction? How would they defend themselves against a terrorist attack? What do they think of their duties? What do Iraqis think of the troop presence?

Answers to these and other questions could be biased if the government restricts reporting. The SDF is going to Iraq to help rebuild the country, not to wage war, as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said time and again.

Positive disclosure about SDF activities, combined with unrestricted reporting, not only will reinforce that message and the legitimacy of troop deployment but will also reduce or dispel public doubts and anxieties about it. Hopefully, it will also improve the perception of the SDF dispatch held by the people of Iraq and other nations.

Freedom of the press, however, is not unlimited. Given the volatile security situation in Iraq, it is only natural that the media should also take into account the risks that face SDF troops and other personnel. Indeed, there is always a need for self-restraint in reporting events that involve the lives and safety of people. In Iraq, special caution is needed.

Still, the restraint must be voluntary. It is not something that can be imposed under the authority of government. Plainly, the media must hold themselves responsible for what they report. Government-controlled information provided in the name of safety can do more harm than good. The official request for "self-restraint" is unnecessary as long as reporters act responsibly within the bounds of reasonable discretion.