Japan Press Weekly

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2021 March 3 - 9 [POLITICS]

JCP Koike: Submission of bill that opens path to enable crackdown on antinuclear and anti-base movements unacceptable

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on March 8 at a press conference in the Diet building said that it is unacceptable for the Suga government to submit to the Diet a bill that will no doubt violate people’s human rights and lead to the constant monitoring of the general public.

The Suga government intends to introduce in the current Diet session a bill designed to regulate purchases and the use of land surrounding U.S. bases, Self-Defense Force bases, nuclear power plants, and other “important” facilities. Koike’s remark was made in response to a question by the press about this move.

Koike pointed out that under the bill, it is highly likely that in the name of following regulations, a wide range of personal information, including landowners’ names and addresses, their work history, thoughts and beliefs, names of friends, and overseas travel record, will be collected. “The bill will inevitably invade people’s privacy,” said Koike.

Furthermore, Koike said that the bill can become a tool to identify citizens opposing U.S. bases in Japan and nuclear power generation.

Koike said, “In Okinawa, U.S. bases were constructed under the U.S. military occupation in residential areas by seizing land with the use of the so-called ‘bayonets and bulldozers’ tactic. In line with this historical background, the government-proposed bill will place Okinawans living near U.S. forces installations under surveillance. This clearly shows the Prime Minister Suga-led administration’s stance to pay no attention to Okinawans’ hardships.”

Koike referred to a Defense Ministry survey showing that the absence of restrictions regarding possession of land surrounding SDF facilities does not interfere with SDF operations, adding, “There is no need to submit the bill.”