TOKYO - Japan's enactment of a new law banning desecration of the national flag has reignited debate over the balance between protecting national symbols and freedom of expression, with laws and public attitudes varying widely around the world.
Concerns have been raised that the legislation could strengthen right-wing ideology in Japan, and some social media users have accused Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of "trying to create an atmosphere of Japan supremacism and extreme nationalism."
In Germany, there are penalties for not only desecrating the national flag, but also for offensive acts against the national anthem and other symbols. Violators can face up to three years in prison or a fine, with the maximum sentence rising to five years if the act was intended to undermine the country's constitutional principles.
Germany's flag was used with restraint following the country's division after World War II, particularly in West Germany. While its use became more widespread after Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006, it has come to be associated with anti-immigration right-wing movements in recent years by some, who see it as "exclusionary and negative," according to local media.
France's blue, white and red tricolor flag -- seen as a symbol of unity alongside the national ideals of "liberty, equality, fraternity" -- is also protected by law. It is illegal to destroy the flag in public or use it in a manner deemed degrading or disrespectful.
While Iran has no explicit law to punish flag desecration, there have been moves to toughen penalties following anti-government protests late last year. Damaging the national flag, which bears the word "Allah," is viewed as blasphemy against Islam. However, the leadership, seeking to foster national unity amid a war with the United States, has generally avoided harsh crackdowns.
In China, offenses related to damaging the flag include penalties of up to three years in prison. The country promotes patriotic education, with a flag-raising ceremony for its "Five-star Red Flag" held around sunrise at Beijing's Tiananmen Square every day.
In 2017, a man who slashed 66 flags displayed at a residential complex in Tianjin received a two-year prison sentence, while another person in Qinghai Province was subjected to administrative detention for using the national flag as a curtain.
In the United States, an immigrant society with diverse backgrounds, its "stars and stripes" national flag has played an important role in national integration. Flag burning emerged as a form of protest during the anti-Vietnam War movement, and in 1989 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such acts are protected as "freedom of expression" under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last August demanding the Justice Department prosecute acts such as flag burning and other forms of desecration.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers in South Korea have moved to establish a "flag day." Damaging the national flag with the intent to insult the state is punishable by up to five years in prison. Critics say the law infringes on freedom of expression.
