March 23, 2016

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki at a press conference held on March 22 in the Diet building demanded that the government take the JCP off the list of groups subject to undercover surveillance.

Earlier on the same day, the government approved a written statement in a Cabinet meeting that the JCP is still subject to surveillance under the antisubversive law by claiming that the party’s policy of violent revolution remains unchanged. The Cabinet approved this statement as response to an inquiry submitted by member of the House of Representatives Suzuki Takako.

Suzuki is daughter of former Dietmember Suzuki Muneo whose alleged corruption became widely known in 2002 after being revealed by former JCP lawmaker Sasaki Kensho in the Diet. Her father’s money scandals ended with his expulsion from the Diet and one-year imprisonment.

Asked by reporters about the government’s written response to Suzuki’s question, JCP Yamashita said, “Our party will lodge a strong protest and demand that the statement be retracted.”

On February 18 in 1989, Fuwa Tetsuzo, vice chair of the party at that time, took up in the Diet the matter that the Public Security Intelligence Agency had monitored the JCP for 36 years but had never once filed for examination of whether to impose restrictions on the party with the Public Security Examination Commission based on the Subversive Activities Prevention Act. This was because the party is not an organization that could commit or in any way support a terroristic subversive activity. Nevertheless, the agency has continued to spy on the JCP to this day.

The JCP stands on the position that it will achieve political change in a step-by-step manner supported by a majority of the public after forming a parliamentary majority through elections. The JCP has never had a policy endorsing violent revolution.

Yamashita said, “Espionage activities against an official political party infringes upon the constitutional right to freedom of association. The government should disband the intelligence service.”

A wide range of citizens, regardless of political orientation, are now standing up against the unconstitutional security legislation forcibly enacted in September last year by the Abe government. Many citizens are committing themselves to protecting constitutionalism, the very foundation of postwar Japan. Pressed by public opinion, the JCP and four other opposition parties began calling for the abolition of the war laws as well as an end to the Abe regime. The five opposition parties are even working on electoral cooperation now.

Yamashita said, “Because opposition parties are working together to defeat the ruling forces, Suzuki submitted this malicious inquiry. Obviously she intended to make an attack on joint efforts among the opposition parties.” “However,” he went on to say, “Our joint struggle will definitely beat back such an inflammatory attack and will advance opposition parties’ cooperation.

Past related articles:
> Electoral cooperation to repeal war legislation agreed upon among opposition parties [February 20, 2016]
> Shii condemns railroading of war bills [September 18, 2015]
> Corrupt lawmaker Suzuki will go to jail [September 9, 2010]