June 16, 2017
The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) on June 15 published a statement protesting against the “anti-conspiracy” law which the ruling force forcibly approved earlier on the same day without sufficient discussion and condemning their “fascist” Diet steering.
The statement regards the forcible vote on the bill as a “crisis of parliamentary democracy” as many citizens’ groups and concerned individuals have been opposing the controversial bill and 70% of people in every opinion poll give the response of “No” to the bill’s passage during the current session of the Diet.
In the statement, Zenroren calls on its member workers to “Stand up now and restore constitutionalism and democracy to the hands of the general public!” It also stresses the need to further promote joint struggles between concerned citizens and opposition parties.
The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA or Nichibenren) also issued a statement under the name of its president on the same day, urging all legal professionals in Japan to work to repeal the “anti-conspiracy” law.
The statement from the Nichibenren president expresses concern over the law as it “could drastically alter the system and the fundamental principles of the Japanese Penal Code”, stating that “it is extremely regrettable” for the governing force to have omitted the process of taking a vote at a prior Upper House committee which was supposed to be done before the House plenary session.
Similar statements or comments came from many other organizations, including the Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom, the New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin), the Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcast Workers’ Unions (Minpo-roren), the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, the Japan Book Publishers Association, the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers’ Unions (Shimbun-roren), the Japan Federation of Publishing Workers’ Unions (Shuppan-roren), and Japan P.E.N.
The statement regards the forcible vote on the bill as a “crisis of parliamentary democracy” as many citizens’ groups and concerned individuals have been opposing the controversial bill and 70% of people in every opinion poll give the response of “No” to the bill’s passage during the current session of the Diet.
In the statement, Zenroren calls on its member workers to “Stand up now and restore constitutionalism and democracy to the hands of the general public!” It also stresses the need to further promote joint struggles between concerned citizens and opposition parties.
The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA or Nichibenren) also issued a statement under the name of its president on the same day, urging all legal professionals in Japan to work to repeal the “anti-conspiracy” law.
The statement from the Nichibenren president expresses concern over the law as it “could drastically alter the system and the fundamental principles of the Japanese Penal Code”, stating that “it is extremely regrettable” for the governing force to have omitted the process of taking a vote at a prior Upper House committee which was supposed to be done before the House plenary session.
Similar statements or comments came from many other organizations, including the Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom, the New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin), the Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcast Workers’ Unions (Minpo-roren), the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, the Japan Book Publishers Association, the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers’ Unions (Shimbun-roren), the Japan Federation of Publishing Workers’ Unions (Shuppan-roren), and Japan P.E.N.
