Police admit to providing U.S. Forces with information on opposition movement

Disclosed police documents have confirmed the allegation that the Maizuru
Police in Kyoto Prefecture provided the U.S. Navy with information on the
local movement against a U.S. warship's visit to Maizuru Port in 1998.

The allegation has been confirmed by U.S. documents, and now for the
first time, Japanese police have officially admitted it.

An Akahata of November 2 strongly questioned the humiliating attitude of
the Japanese government.

The police document entitled, "Findings of survey in connection with the
U.S. Navy destroyer Cushing's entry into Maizuru Port" (Sep. 27, 1998) was
released at the request of the People's Aid and Relief Association of Japan
in accordance with the Information Disclosure Act.

Mochizuki Norio, secretary general of the aid and relief association,
said, "How scandalous it is for the police department, which has the duty to
protect the public and maintain security, to collect information for the
U.S. Forces. This shows that police on their own were monitoring residents'
activities. We will develop a struggle to stop such unconstitutional police
activities." (end)