Rights groups blame Japan gov't over bill on Ainu ethnic minority

Some rights groups criticized the Japanese government Friday over a recent bill recognizing the Ainu people for the first time as "an indigenous group," saying that despite the wording, it treats them as a tourist attraction and does not do enough to reverse the historical discrimination they have suffered.Calling the bill "deplorable," some representatives of the ethnic minority, with roots in the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, said the group's voices and rights have been ignored.The bill, which the government approved on Feb. 15, says its objective is to "realize a society which wi…READ FULL ARTICLE