英字新聞

2011/10/06
--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 5
EDITORIAL: It's still the job of police to crack down on yakuza.
暴力団の排除―警察こそ前面に立て

Life has suddenly just got tougher for Japan's yakuza organized crime syndicates.
(日本の暴力団にとっては住みにくい世の中になった。 この部分の翻訳 by srachai)

Anti-yakuza ordinances came into effect in Tokyo and Okinawa on Oct. 1. They are the last two prefectures to enforce such measures.
　東京都と沖縄県で今月、暴力団排除条例が施行され、同様の条例が全国で出そろった。

Yakuza can no longer subcontract public works projects, nor open new "offices."
　公共工事の下請け、孫請けから排除され、組事務所を新たに開くことも事実上できない。

Printers can now refuse to print "meishi" business cards bearing the names of gang groups, hotels can cancel reservations for banquets hosted by yakuza, and banks can refuse to open accounts for gang members.
　組の名前が入った名刺の印刷はお断り。ホテルで宴会を開こうにも、暴力団とわかればキャンセルされる。組員は銀行口座を開けず、子どもの給食代も引き落とせない――。

　となれば、ヤクザなんかやってられねぇ、となるだろう。

The ordinances aim to shut yakuza out of all social and economic activities and stop their cash flows.
　社会・経済のあらゆる場から暴力団を締め出し、資金源を断つ。

But this cannot be done unless private citizens and businesses are willing to sever their relations with yakuza.
そのため市民や企業に決別を求める。

Anyone who "patronizes" gangsters or pays for their "services" will be warned, or such practices will be publicly unmasked, depending on specific cases.
威力を借りたり、活動を助長したりする目的で暴力団に利益を与えた場合は、指導や摘発の対象にする。

More local governments are now moving toward including provisions in their ordinances that will enable people to cancel their business contracts with parties who are found to be associated with yakuza.
その態勢が整いつつある。
組員とわかれば契約を解除できる条項を設ける動きも広がる。

How best to tighten the net?
　この包囲網を、いかに強く丈夫なものにするか。

Many people are unsure exactly what constitutes "patronizing" yakuza or how to determine whether their business partners have yakuza connections.
　「どんなケースが利益供与に当たるか」「暴力団関係者だとどうやって判断するのか」と、戸惑いの声は大きい。

The law enforcement authorities need to give specific examples and educate the public thoroughly, and ensure the law is not enforced arbitrarily.
警察は実例を示して説明を重ね、恣意（しい）的な運用は戒めるべきだろう。

The purpose of the anti-gang legislation is definitely not to cause unnecessary concern to ordinary law-abiding citizens.
善意の市民を不安にさせるのが目的ではないはずだ。

But there are certain segments of society that have maintained relations with yakuza, willingly or not.
　他方、様々な利害やしがらみで暴力団と腐れ縁を続けてきた世界もある。

Such people should understand that what was marginally legit in the past is now a crime.
そうした人はこれまでの「セーフ」は「アウト」になると覚悟した方がいい。

Beat Takeshi, who partially revealed his relationship with yakuza in an interview with a weekly magazine, noted, "I'm glad I can now say 'No' (to gangsters) by law."
　ビートたけしさんは、週刊誌で芸能界と暴力団とのつきあいの一端を明かし、「これからは条例を盾に断れるんだから、ありがたい」と語っていた。

But the police face a tougher test than the showbiz industry.
　芸能界以上に正念場を迎えるのは、実は警察だ。

Law enforcement authorities have been vowing to eradicate crime syndicates since the enforcement of the Anti-Organized Crime Law in 1992.
　１９９２年の暴力団対策法の施行以降、「壊滅を」とかけ声を続けてきたにもかかわらず、

But it hasn't had much effect.
暴力団の勢力は衰えていない。

In fact, it has grown increasingly difficult for investigators to obtain information from those with yakuza connections.
関係者と接触して情報をとる捜査手法も難しくなった。

Unable to crack down successfully on organized crime, the police have tended to dump the responsibility on society at large.
　取り締まりがどうにも行き詰まる中、市民社会の側に責任を課した面がある。

But the ultimate responsibility of manning the frontline in the nation's fight against organized crime lies with the police.
だが、暴力団対策の最前線に立つのは、やはり警察をおいてない。

It is their mission to protect citizens who are being threatened by yakuza to maintain their ties.
　関係を絶とうとする市民を、脅しから守り抜く。

In Fukuoka Prefecture, the police have yet to nab the perpetrator of shooting incidents against anti-yakuza companies and others.
福岡県では暴力団排除を進めてきた企業などを狙った発砲事件の犯人が、捕まらないままだ。

The police campaign to eradicate organized crime is doomed to fail if the public cannot trust or rely on law enforcement officers.
事件解決にも全力を注がねばならない。どうせ警察は何もしてくれないと不信がぬぐえぬようでは、この作戦は失敗に終わる。

With society becoming much less yakuza-friendly, some gangs may burrow deeper underground.
　追いつめられた暴力団が、闇に潜る恐れもある。

A new challenge now is how to deal with former gangsters who have nowhere else to go.
居場所がなくなる者たちの受け皿をどうするかも、今後の課題だ。

The authorities will have to remain attuned to new developments while cracking down harder on organized crime.
そうした動向を見すえつつ、対策を強めてゆかねばなるまい。