Foreign ministry shuts access to 'secret' funds documents

Contrary to its public promise to become more open, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected all requests for "secret" funds documents to be released.

Based on the Law Concerning Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs which took effect in April, the Japanese Communist Party newspaper Akahata had requested the disclosure of the documents concerning "secret" state funds. But the ministry on June 1 notified Akahata that the documents will not be released.

The decision contradicts the ministry's reform platform which pushes forward information disclosure. No doubt that the Koizumi Cabinet will face public criticism because "reform" was a loud promise of Koizumi's LDP presidential campaign.

The "secret" funds are confidential state funds used for the prime minister's official foreign travel.

On June 14, the Information Clearing House, an NPO whose request for the disclosure has recently been turned down, petitioned Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanaka Makiko to reconsider the decision. (end)