Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 3 - 9 TOP3 [SDF]

SDF making poison gas in secret

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force has been producing poison gases such as sarin at its facility in a densely-populated metropolitan area, reported Akahata on July 6.

The GSDF is making toxic gases at its Chemical School in Saitama City near Tokyo. The facility is located in a residential district where public schools and childcare centers are located.

The weekly magazine Shukan Kinyobi in May published an interview with a former principal of the Chemical School in which the principal stated that the GSDF has been involved in R&D and making poison gases for a long time in absolute secrecy.

After that, the Defense Ministry admitted to the gas production in response to inquiries from Akahata and Japanese Communist Party Lower House member Shiokawa Tetsuya. The gases they are making are of seven types, including sarin, VX, and mustard gas, which are all highly lethal.

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which went into effect in 1997, bans the production and the use of these materials, while permitting making them for the purpose of research and protection. The ministry explained that the production is intended to study how to protect humans from poisonous substances.

JCP representative Shiokawa said, “It is a matter of grave concern that the SDF has been secretly making toxic gases in such a densely-populated area without providing any information to local residents. The central government has a responsibility to clarify how these hazardous materials are handled and controlled to the Diet and local governments in order to ensure the safety of the people in case of a disaster.”