Japan's post-Fukushima 'secrecy' clampdown
Saul Takahashi
11th December 2013
Japan's secrecy law, just passed by parliament, gives the government carte blanche to designate state secrets - and restrict information about anything it likes. Saul Takahashi hears the sound of jackboots on the march .
Japan's new secrecy law is yet another disturbing symptom of the country's rising militarism, broadening the government's power to classify state secrets amidst increased belligerence in the region.
As if it ever needed repeating, the people of Japan were once again treated to a reminder of how secretive and arbitrary their government can be during the nuclear disaster in Fukushima 2011.
Government foot-dragging and reluctance to divulge information meant that people remained exposed to high doses of radiation for over a month after the meltdown with potentially grave health consequences.
Now, what is easily the most right wing government Japan has seen in decades has forced through parliament a bill to classify "special secrets" that would essentially give the executive carte blanche to withhold information on a massive scale, not seen since the period of militarism directly leading up to, and during, World War 2.
The law, known as the Designated Secrets Bill, was hurriedly rammed through the more powerful lower house on 26 November, and then passed through the upper house in equally speedy fashion on 6 December.
Read on:
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2193548/japans_postfukushima_secrecy_clampdown.html
Love Always
mudra
Saul Takahashi
11th December 2013
Japan's secrecy law, just passed by parliament, gives the government carte blanche to designate state secrets - and restrict information about anything it likes. Saul Takahashi hears the sound of jackboots on the march .
Japan's new secrecy law is yet another disturbing symptom of the country's rising militarism, broadening the government's power to classify state secrets amidst increased belligerence in the region.
As if it ever needed repeating, the people of Japan were once again treated to a reminder of how secretive and arbitrary their government can be during the nuclear disaster in Fukushima 2011.
Government foot-dragging and reluctance to divulge information meant that people remained exposed to high doses of radiation for over a month after the meltdown with potentially grave health consequences.
Now, what is easily the most right wing government Japan has seen in decades has forced through parliament a bill to classify "special secrets" that would essentially give the executive carte blanche to withhold information on a massive scale, not seen since the period of militarism directly leading up to, and during, World War 2.
The law, known as the Designated Secrets Bill, was hurriedly rammed through the more powerful lower house on 26 November, and then passed through the upper house in equally speedy fashion on 6 December.
Read on:
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2193548/japans_postfukushima_secrecy_clampdown.htmlLove Always
mudra
