Japan Press Weekly

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2016 August 24 - 30 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP demands nationwide survey of illegal investigations by police

The Japanese Communist Party Oita Prefectural Committee and JCP lawmakers made representations to the National Police Agency (NPA) on August 23, demanding that the agency investigate as to whether the police are illegally surveilling activists of trade unions and civic groups.

The protesters referred to the fact that during the campaign period for the July Upper House election, the Oita Prefectural Police secretly placed a surveillance camera in the compound of a building which houses a local union and civic organizations supporting a joint opposition candidate in the campaign. They submitted to the agency a written demand requesting clarification of the incident and a nationwide survey of unlawful surveillance by the police.

JCP member of the House of Councilors Nihi Sohei said, “The act of the prefectural police constitutes a privacy violation as well as suppression of the right of assembly of unions and opposition parties. The police have shown no signs of remorse even after the revelation of the incident. I have to wonder if such illegitimate surveillance investigations are being conducted nationwide.”

An NPA official refused to respond to the representations, saying that the case is now under investigation by the local police.

JCP member of the House of Representatives Majima Shozo said, “It is wrong to leave the investigation to the prefectural police itself. The NPA should take the lead in inquiring into the matter and make its findings public.”

Past related article:
> JCP protests against secret filming of people by Oita police [August 10, 2016]