Lessons of rightist assault on Asahi Shimbun Branch -- Akahata editorial, May 2 (excerpts)

Fifteen years ago, a man assumed to be a rightist gangster armed with a shotgun assaulted the Asahi Shimbun Hanshin branch office in Hyogo Prefecture, killing a reporter and seriously injuring another. May 3 marks the 15th anniversary, and the statute of limitations runs out at midnight the same day.

The police failure to arrest the suspect and investigate the truth of such a mean act of murder and terrorism is a serious matter affecting the basis of Japan's legislation and justice.

In 1987 and 1988, assaults by ultra-rightists calling themselves "Sekihotai," were repeatedly made on Asahi Shimbun, including the above case. Immediately after the incident, statements in the name of "Sekihotai" were sent to the press, uttering threats.

The Japanese Communist Party resolutely denounces such outrageous attempts to control and undermine freedom of speech and the press. Every possible means must be taken to prevent the recurrence of such violent attacks on the press. We must continue to report facts, refusing to capitulate before terrorism and violence.

In this regard, we cannot overlook the fact that Japan's state power and police have maintained conciliatory attitude toward rightists; their daily obstruction of activities by the JCP and other democratic organizations have been left unchecked.

This policy has helped increased arbitrary actions by rightitsts. In 1990, Nagasaki's mayor Motoshima Hitoshi, who criticized the Emperor Showa's responsibility for the war (of aggression), was seriously injured at the City Hall in January of the same year by a rightist, and in April the house of Yuge Toru, Ferris University president, was shot at following the publication of a statement in opposition to the enthronement of the present emperor.

Now, the Koizumi Cabinet is rushing to enact a series of adverse bills in the current Diet session: the media control bills under the guise of information protection which, if enacted, will rob the people of their right to know, and the contingency bills to allow the prime minister to control NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) so that public mobilization will be smoothly carried out.

The JCP again emphasizes that the party will never yield to any kind of terrorism and violence. We persistently opposed the war of aggression in defiance of terror attacks by the state on other nations. Akahata will continue to let the public know about the true aim of the above legislation and heighten public opinion that will not allow the press to be attacked. (end)