October 15, 2014
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2014 October 15 - 21 [POLITICS]
Law hiding security-related info will come into force in December |
The Japan P.E.N. Club immediately released a statement stating that literary persons in Japan will stand firm against any move to restrict the right to freedom of speech and expression. The Japan Association for Social Justice and Human Rights (Kyuenkai) in a statement it issued called for repealing the law. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations also published a statement in protest against the law coming into effect.
Prior to the Cabinet meeting, protesters gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. Kyuenkai spokesman Suzuki Takeshi criticized the law for concealing information inconvenient for the authorities from the general public. Takahashi Naoto of the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers Unions (Shimbun Roren) said his union will fight to defend the right to freedom of the press.
Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki held a press conference after the Cabinet decision on the law’s guidelines and its enforcement. He pointed out, “The law paves the way for a prewar-like Japan by again covering people’s eyes, lips, and ears,” and said he will submit a bill to scrap the law in the Diet.
Regarding details of rules such as the designation of secret information and removal of the designation, the government has received more than 24,000 public comments, most of which expressed concern or opposition to the law. Even inside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, many members sharply questioned the law.
The secrets law deals with information about the military, diplomacy, or anything tied to the Japan-U.S. security framework as well as counterintelligence and antiterrorism and designates them as classified if necessary. Whether they are public or private sector employees, they will face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison if they have a role in the leaking of or in improper access to confidential information.
After forcibly enacting the law, the Abe Cabinet forced through policies to promote arms exports in April and Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right in July.
The prime minister is now trying to revise the Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines so that Japan can fight wars abroad together with the United States and is also intending to use national universities and institutions for military purposes and allow Japan to take part in military operations under the guise of global efforts to counter terrorism.
Giving effect to the secrecy law will possibly keep pertinent information from being shared in the Diet.
Past related articles:
> Shii calls for retraction of Cabinet decision enabling Japan to use collective self-defense right [July 1, 2014]
> Gov’t abandons Japan’s arms embargo principles [April 2, 2014]
> Shii protests against forcible enactment of state secrets law [December 8, 2013]
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