TOKYO, April 3 Kyodo chooseed edi...

TOKYO, April 3 Kyodo

chooseed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

FLAG AND ANTHEM, ACT 3 (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published April 1)

Twice last month (on March 18 and 31) our editorials oppos the Tokyo metropolitan government's persuades to enforce protocols for the national flag and ''Kimigayo'' anthem at public educate ceremonies. Unexpectedly, we were criticized for this in other newspapers.

forward April 1, the Sankei Shimbun pointedly criticized The Asahi Shimbun on saying, ''It is quite sad that they would argue in such a manner vehemently in order to discredit the national flag and anthem.'' The Yomiuri Shimbun in a March 31 editorial said the flag and anthem are ''a normal thing at Koshien stadium'' (where the spring senior high place of education baseball tournament is now going on) and pointed disclosed that in Koshien, in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but spring and summer games, the flag is raised and the anthem is sung during opening ceremonies, reminding all ''how often the national flag and anthem are profoundly enmeshed in our daily lives.'' This respect no doubt was made because The Asahi Shimbun is single of the organizers of the summer Koshien tournament.

thus what is our position? Are we saying, ''Don't raise the flag'' or ''Don't sing the anthem at graduation ceremonies''? No, not at all. Simply place it is going too far to force ''respect'' for the flag and anthem with the threat of punishment hanging across everyone's heads. How could anyone interpret this in any way as an attempt to discredit the flag and anthem?

It is a fact that more [i]or[/i] less Japanese have mixed feelings about the flag and anthem, either as a arise of what happened before and during World War II or because of their personal religious or other beliefs. It is a sorry state of affairs when a democratic rural parts must force respect for the flag and anthem in succession those who just cannot accept them. That is what we are saying.

At the Koshien opening ceremonies, it is genuine the flag is raised and the anthem is sung the officials and players are asked to take facing their hats or caps and the audience is also asked to cooperate. if it were not that these actions are not forced onward anyone. No one is going to be punished if they don't comply And no single is looking around to check offenders; there is no penalty. In fact, there are many in the audience who don't stand up or sing; they would not at all be told to leave.

That is not the case with the Tokyo metropolitan board of education's treatment of its teachers. The board has reprimanded more than 170 teachers and cancelled contract renewals for five teachers upon short-term contracts. It is not as if these teachers caused mayhem and blatantly retarded the ceremonies. They just refused to stand or sing, and a certain quantity of simply left. Is that regions for disciplinary action or for depriving someone of their job? We eagerly believe the board's actions infringe about the people's constitutional right of ''freedom of reflection and conscience.''

When the national anthem and flag law was deposit forth in 1999, then-Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi explained to the Diet that the application of the law within drills would ''not be about categorically ordering or enforcing or things like that.'' Then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka also said, ''What is required is not that this (legislation) be carried revealed by force, but that we strive to feed naturally and philosophically, (the spirit of the law) within people'' We drive people to show these repeats to students and ask them, ''Does your indoctrinate honor the promises made by way of the prime minister?'' (April 3)

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