Unprepared Bill

As discussion in the Diet goes on, unpreparedness of the government appears one after another. While the leading parties embarked on the negotiation with the opposites for modification of Specific Secrets protection Bill, or Secrecy Bill, in the House of Representatives, they have not found any vision to reach an agreement on how far discretion of the government should be admitted. Having a history of bureaucratic oppression, this undemocratic government has no idea on how to protect human rights of its own people.

Minister of State in charge of Secrecy Bill, Masako Mori, showed her incompetence in defining executive power written in the bill. “There will be no search in the press offices,” she answered in Special Committee on Security Issues in the House. Later, she changed her view. “I would not lay out specific examples with assumption,” she said. The revised answer did not exclude search in press offices.

The bill allows the government to determine “specific secret” that will be hidden from the eyes of people for five years. The problem is that it can extend the period forever, if it wants. Although the opposite parties demanded to limit the period within thirty years, the government rejected it. Mori explained that it requires a cabinet decision to extend the period over thirty years, because such a secret must have historical value. However, it is the government, not people, which distinguish necessary information from the ones to be disposed.

In the negotiations between the leading and the opposites, focusing point is engagement of the legislative branch. Leading Liberal Democratic and New Komeito proposed an amendment that would add reporting to the Diet, when a minister registers a specific secret. Your Party and Restoration Party are positively discussing it. Democratic Party is getting closer to the position against the bill, even if some amendment would be added. Communists, Social Democrats and some others are definitely against the bill from the beginning.

Although the bill limits specific secrets in four categories, which are diplomacy, defense, harmful activities and terrorism, there are a number of descriptions “other important information” in defining specific secrets. It is obvious that “other important information” means everything, as long as the government has power to determine its importance. That is not a law a democratic government would enact.

If the government wants to deter illegal activities of foreigners in Japan, it needs to enhance security at the stage of immigration. There are a huge number of illegal workers in Japan, who entered Japan for external purpose of studying in colleges. Before violating ordinary life of legal citizens, bureaucracy has to be responsible for its own job.