The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday presented a draft outline of a bill that calls for punishing not only public vandalism of Japan＊s?national flag but also sharing images of such acts on social media.

After discussing the draft?at a project team?meeting, the LDP stopped short of approving it due to a number of cautious opinions from attendees, mainly related to concerns over freedom of expression.

The outline also calls for?penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to ?200,000 ($1,262) for individuals who publicly damage the flag.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who chairs the team, told the meeting that the draft was compiled ※with careful consideration for the freedom of thought, conscience, and expression.§

Still, former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that the planned legislation would lead to ※excessive regulation§ and intimidate the public. Shoji Nishida, an LDP member of the House of Councilors, expressed opposition to imposing penalties.

The draft outline stipulates that any act of damaging the national flag, regardless of intent, will be punishable if it causes ※extreme discomfort or disgust§ in a way objectively recognizable to others.

Videos and images shared by third parties, such as in news reports and reposts on social media, will not be subject to punishment, according to the outline.

In response to concerns about potential infringements of the freedom of expression and conscience guaranteed by the Constitution, the LDP plans to include provisions addressing these issues.

The proposed penalties align with those for the crime of damaging a foreign country＊s national flag stipulated in the Penal Code, which also covers damage to military flags. The LDP, though, is considering limiting the scope of the bill to the Japanese national flag.

Meanwhile, the project team has affirmed that there will be no provisions mandating respect for the national flag.