Japan Press Weekly

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2013 November 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

JCP Nihi speaks against secrets bill at foreign correspondents club

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Nihi Sohei at a press conference held in the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) on November 14 called for the scrapping of a secrets protection bill restricting people’s right to access to information.

Nihi who is also a legal expert asserted that the bill would undermine principles of peace, democracy, and fundamental human rights guaranteed in the Japanese supreme law. “The JCP will continue its all-out effort to scrap the bill,” said the Upper House lawmaker.

A reporter asked the JCP Dietmember for his views about the bill promoters citing external threats as the reason for the bill.

Nihi answered, “They have not been able to come up with an example of an external threat that would require violating people’s basic human rights. They also cannot explain why the existing laws such as the National Public Service Act and the Self-Defense Forces Act are not sufficient to deal with any ‘threats’.”

Along with the JCP legislator, Upper House representatives Fukushima Mizuho of the Social Democratic Party, Shuhama Ryo of the People’s Life Party, and independent Yamamoto Taro were present at this press conference. They also stressed the need to have the bill killed.