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Citizens and Dietmembers band together to scrap 'crime of conspiracy' bill

About 200 citizens joined by 9 Dietmembers of different parties held a rally on July 26 in Tokyo to foil a bill to create the so-called "crime of conspiracy" related to criminal law.

The bill, now being discussed in the House of Representatives, is designed to make it possible to punish people because of their ideas, even if they haven't committed any criminal offense. In this respect, the bill can be said to be a modern version of the notorious prewar Public Order Maintenance Law.

Matsuno Nobuo, a Democratic Party of Japan member of the House of Representatives, reported that discussions in the Lower House council had to be frequently interrupted because the sponsers of the bill were unable to answer questions. He said that amendments can not help improve the bill and that the only way is for it to be withdrawn.

Inoue Satoshi, a Japanese Communist Party member of the House Councilors, said, "The bill allows the police to spy on and charge citizens for their speech and/or ideology under the pretext that steps are needed to prevent international terror crimes. Let us foil this bill."

Fukushima Mizuho, Social Democratic Party leader, denounced the bill as a measure to allow state power to legally interfere in the privacy of individuals.

Horikoshi Akio, a public official who was prosecuted on charges of violating the National Public Service Law by distributing handbills on holidays, spoke about his being secretly photographed by the security police for six months. He warned that making this bill into law would allow the police to wiretap telephones and take photographs as much as they like.

More than 100 citizens' organizations agreed to foil the "crime of conspiracy" bill. A joint statement was published at a news conference in the Diet building on the same day. -- Akahata July 27, 2005