Peace activists protest bugging by SDF officer

Peace activists found out that their conversation was being recorded at a Hokkaido office of the Air Self-Defense Force in Hokkaido and lodged a protest against the officer who was eavesdropping. The officer immediately apologized for the conduct.

On September 1, members of the Hokkaido Action Committee against the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty were visiting the ASDF Chitose Base to express opposition to the ASDF's plan to resume air-to-ground exercises.

As they began to make a statement in protest against the exercise, one of the visitors found that an ASDF officer in charge of the base issue was wearing a small microphone like a tie-clasp and condemned the officer for this. The officer admitted his misconduct and apologized.

The ASDF 2nd Air-wing based at Chitose recently announced a plan to resume its exercises from September 11, which had been suspended after shootings by mistake at a nursing home and other private facilities during an exercise in June 2001 at the ASDF Shimamatsu exercise field.

Pointing out that security measures and information to residents by the ASDF are quite inadequate, representatives of the peace movement urged the ASDF to cancel the plan to resume exercises. (end)