The ruling Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s push to make desecrating the national flag a criminal offense is reviving a long-running debate over the limits of political expression.?
The party¡¯s joint policy panel on Monday approved a draft provision that would penalize those who publicly damage, remove or deface the Japanese flag in a manner deemed likely to cause ¡°extreme discomfort or disgust to others.¡±?
Violators would face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to ?200,000 ($1,250).
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