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News Archive |
LAST UPDATE
May 25, 2006
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| May 1 2006 |
Peace Boat Co-organizes a gathering in regards to the New Conspiracy or Collusion Law Currently Under Debate in the Lower House of the Japanese Diet |
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“The New Conspiracy or Collusion Law currently under debate in the lower house of the Japanese Diet is something of grave concern for society. The Japanese public must watch the decisions of our Diet very carefully and voice our concern in regards to this new law.” says Peace Boat staff member, Kushibuchi Mari.
Japan's ruling coalition party is currently lobbying for the passage of a potentially far-reaching anti-conspiracy or collusion law (known in Japanese as Kyoubouzai Houan).
This proposed bill will make conspiracy to commit a crime punishable for more than 600 offenses even if no crime is actually carried out. Voices from the opposition parties have called for a deliberation on this vote as many see this legislation and its corresponding statute as being too undefined, and in effect creating a platform in which any labour union, NGO, religious organization or even groups of individuals and its activities may be labelled as criminal behaviour.
Domestic critics of the plan say it evokes the pre-World War II Peace Preservation Law, which made public expression of opposition to the war policy a thought crime. The proposed statute is a vaguely worded, two-sentence amendment to an existing law. It defines "conspiracy" as an agreement, whether overt or tacit, fanciful or earnest, between two or more people that might be construed as planning to violate any statute already in existence. The minimum sentence for violation of this law if it passes, will be up to four years incarceration or more. The legislation appears to be headed for passage through a 'forcible passage' vote that is scheduled for Friday, May 19 2006. |
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Kushibuchi Mari continues, 'This legislation is being lobbied as a necessity for domestic Japanese law, as Japan is a signatory of the United Nations Covenant against Transnational Organized Crime, and so therefore obliged to establish conspiracy charges within its legislature. However, the statute in its current form leaves too much room for interpretation due to deliberately vague wording. This means that the state has greater capacity to intervene with civil society and that this will be sanctified by law. It is an encroachment and infringement upon civil liberties such as the right to assembly.'
Peace Boat co-organized a gathering of NGOs, CSOs and concerned Diet members in the House of Representatives Meeting Room in Tokyo with Amnesty International Japan and Green Peace Japan among others.
After this gathering, upto 500 people from NGOs and NPOs, civil society members, labour unions, journalists and government representatives convened at the Seiryo-kaikan hall in Nagatacho, Tokyo. Pledges of solidarity and cooperation were shared in order to voice protest over the passing of this law. |
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