Saturday, December 20, 2014

State Secrecy Law takes effect; Civil society vows to keep on fighting.




The controversial state secrets law took effect on Dec. 10. A series of protests were staged during the week with large numbers of participants.

On Dec. 6, the anniversary of the historic steamrolling of the bill at the Diet in 2013, 1600 citizens gathered for a rally held in a park in central Tokyo. Upper House member KIRA Yoshiko of the communist party was the only Diet member who joined the rally because of the on-going Lower House election campaign. The guest speaker, Prof. AOI Miho of the Graduate School of Gakushuin University, said that the citizens opposing the law should continue raising voice against it to deter the government.  TAIRA Aika, an Okinawan member of a co-sponsor organization of the rally, urged the attendees by saying, "When Okinawa was returned to Japan, we, Okinawan, joined the people of the country who have the Article 9 of the Constitution, who had declared that they would renounce the war forever. The secrecy law is to allow the government to do whatever they want to do. This is absolutely unacceptable. We will be able to defeat the government in the end if only we continue fighting till we win.  Let's keep on fighting!"  KAIDO Futaba of the lawyers group taking measures against the law said that the law must be abolished to save democracy and freedom. (By OZAWA Kuniko)

In the evening of Dec. 9, more than 1000 gathered in front of the prime minister's office for a protest action called by a group of university students, Students Against Secrets Protection Law (SASPL). "When the law was enacted, some people said it was the end of democracy in this country. Even so, we cannot just give up and accept it. We cannot give up freedom and human rights. The secrecy law, the collective self-defense right, the collapse of the parliamentary democracy- The government of this country is indeed hopeless, but, for good or bad, we are still able to raise our voice against it.  We are able to keep on fighting. They say it was the end. Then we say 'We will begin.' We say so again and again!" said one of the young protesters.  (By NISHINAKA Seiichiro)   

On Dec. 10, the day the law came into effect, a protest was staged in front of the prime minister's office. Responding to the call by the citizens' committee aiming at the abolishment of the state secrecy law,  more than 360 people gathered for the action despite the cold and windy weather. The protesters were tense and angry. "I have participated in many protest actions since before the bill was enacted a year ago. The law is to prepare for the war. It will deprive the people of the right to know and kills democracy. It must be abolished. One of the main objectives of the law is to intimidate citizens opposing government policies, but I will not allow them to silence us. I will never give up!" said a woman who was raising voice in the front line just behind the banner. Many reporters were there as well. The organizer told the participants that they were working to build a strategy to confront the cases of suppression on media that are likely to take place in the future. (By M)     

秘密保護法が施行 闘いの継続を誓う

 12月6日、強行採決から1年「秘密保護法」施行するな!12.6大集会が日比谷野外音楽堂で開かれ、1600人 が参加しました。衆議院の選挙戦真っ最中であり、議員発言は吉良よし子参議院議員(共産党)のみでした。ゲスト発言は、学習院大学大学院教授の青井未帆さ ん。「私たちの声を抑止力にしていきましょう」と話していました。協賛団体からの発言で、「解釈で憲法9条を壊すな!実行委員会」の平良愛香さんは「沖縄 は、憲法9条を持つ国、戦争を放棄する国に復帰した。国がやりたいようにできる秘密保護法は許さない。必ず勝つ方法は、勝つまで続けること。がんばろ う!」と檄をとばしました。また秘密保護法対策弁護団の海渡双葉弁護士は「民主主義と自由のために秘密法は廃止しかない」と話しました。(尾澤邦子)

昨年12月6日の夜中、連日国会議事堂を取り巻いていた数千、数万人の民意を無視して強行採決された「特定秘密保 護法」が、10日から施行されるのに反対して、12月9日夜、首相官邸前に1000人を超える人々が集まった。「この法律が可決されて、ある人は『民主主 義は終った』と言いました。しかし、こんなことであきらめることはできません。自由と権利をあきらめるわけにはいかないのです。特定秘密保護法、集団的自 衛権、議会制民主主義の崩壊。絶望の国で、幸福か不幸か私たちはこうして声を上げることができます。闘い続けることができます。終っていると言うなら、始 めるぞってことです。何度だって言ってあげましょう!」(西中誠一郎)

 秘密保護法が施行された12月10日昼、「秘密保護法」廃止へ!実行委員会が呼びかけた「官邸前抗議行動」が取り 組まれた。寒風のなか360人以上が集まった。人々の表情には張り詰めた緊張感と怒りがあった。横断幕の先頭で声を上げていた女性は、「去年の成立する以 前から反対運動に参加している。この法律は戦争準備するためのもので、知る権利が奪われ民主主義が破壊される。絶対廃止しなければいけない。法律の目的の 一つが、国民の運動を萎縮させることだが、それには負けないで頑張りたい」ときっぱり語った。この日はマスコミも数も多かった。主催者からは、「今後予想 される秘密保護法によるメディア弾圧事件に対抗する態勢づくり」が進められていることが報告された。(M) 

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