Japan Press Weekly

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2012 August 29 - September 4 TOP3 [SDF]

SDF continues illegal collection of citizens’ personal information

The Ground Self-Defense Force still continues its monitoring of the public even after its monitoring activities were revealed by the Japanese Communist Party in 2007, Akahata reported.

Akahata obtained a GSDF intelligence security unit’s internal “weekly report” designated to be kept in strict confidence.

The document recorded on a weekly basis information regarding peace movement events between November 25 and December 21, 2010 and their participants such as citizens, lawmakers of the JCP and the Social Democratic Party, union activists, and journalists. It presented the number of participants at each event as well as the date.

The record, for example, included a remark made by JCP member of the Taiwa Town Assembly Fujimaki Hiroshi at a rally against a live shooting exercise that the U.S. Marine Corps conducted from November 22 to December 3 at the GSDF Ojojibara Maneuver Area in Miyagi Prefecture.

Activities of local governments hosting U.S. bases and their senior officials as well as remarks made by candidates for the November 28 Okinawa gubernatorial election were also recorded.

Regarding a lecture that an editor of a major newspaper delivered in Sapporo City, the document stated, “The editor made remarks criticizing the National Defense Program Guidelines and the review of the three principles banning arms exports.”

Akahata also found out that the intelligence security unit regards Muslims as potential members of international terrorist groups and has them under surveillance.

In the section of the document regarding movements of Islamic forces and international terrorist organizations, the unit classified worshippers at mosques across Japan into groups of South East Asian, Middle Easterners, Pakistani, and people of relevant embassies in Japan. It provides an accurate count of the number of worshippers.

In a court battle launched by citizens demanding prohibition of the SDF’s surveillance activities after the JCP’s revelation, the Sendai District Court ruled on March 26 this year that the SDF unit’s activity collecting personal information related to thought and creed is illegal and infringes on people’s personal rights. The court ordered the state to pay 5 of the plaintiffs compensation for damages.

The unit also recorded a rally held by supporters of the lawsuit in Sendai City and cited the number of participants.