日本女戰地記者在敘利亞採訪中殉職

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

シリア北部で取材していた日本人ジャーナリストの山本美香さんが銃撃に巻き込まれて死亡したことについて、報道の自由を擁護する民間団体「国境なき記者団」は、山本さんの死を悼むとともに、アサド政権と反政府勢力の双方にジャーナリストを攻撃しないよう強く求めました。

パリに本部がある「国境なき記者団」によりますと、去年、シリアで武力衝突が起きてから、取材に当たっていて死亡した外国人ジャーナリストは、山本さんを含め５人に上るということです。
「国境なき記者団」で中東地域を担当しているソアジック・ドレ氏はＮＨＫのインタビューに対し、山本さんはアフガニスタンやイラクでの取材で世界的に知られたジャーナリストだとしてその死を悼むとともに、今回の攻撃を非難しました。
そのうえで、「山本さんの死は、紛争地での取材経験が豊富なジャーナリストであっても、常に身を守れるわけではないことを示している。シリアの危険度は非常に高く、ジャーナリストにとって、今、世界で最も危険な場所だ」と述べました。
そして、シリアでは、ジャーナリストは政府軍だけでなく反政府勢力やイスラム過激派からも攻撃を受ける可能性があると指摘し、「アサド政権と反政府勢力の双方に対し、ジャーナリストを保護し、決して攻撃の対象にしないよう強く求める」と述べました。

(試譯文)

Regarding the Japanese journalist Ms. Mika Yamamoto who was reporting in northern Syria, she was caught between the shooting and got killed; the private organization the "Reporters Without Borders" which protected freedom of the press mourned the death of Mr. Yamamoto, it called on the two sides of the Assad Administration and anti-government forces not to attack journalists.

According to the "Reporters Without Borders" that had its headquarters in Paris, it was said that among the foreign journalists who were in charge of covering the armed clash broken out in Syria since last year, the number of death had gone up to five people including Ms. Yamamoto.

In an interview with the NHK Soajikku Dore of the "Reporters Without Borders" who was taking charge of the Middle East area blamed this attack; he mourned the death of Ms. Yamamoto, noting that she was a journalist known globally for her coverage in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Moreover, it was said that "Ms. Yamamoto's death shows that she cannot always be protected in an area of conflict, even for a journalist with abundant coverage experience. The danger in Syria is very high; it is the most dangerous place in the world now for a journalist."

In Syria, the journalist indicated that an attack might be received not only from the government troops but also from anti-government forces and a radical Islamic group; and it was said that "it is strongly requested that both sides of the Assad Administration and the anti-government forces must take care of the journalists and never made them the target of their offensive".

My respect goes to Ms. Yamaoto; she was such a brave lady. Woodrow Wilson had once said “Only free people can hold their purpose and their honor steady to a common end, and prefer the interest of mankind to any narrow interest of their own”.