Three bills that would permit wiretapping during investigations into organaized crimes, initially submitted to the Diet by the LDP government last year, were at first adopted by the Judicial Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives on May 28. Despite growing anti-bills struggles, the Liberal Democratic Party, Jiyuto (Liberal Party) and New Komeito voted a package of three bills through a plenary session of the House of Representatives on June 1.
On that day, the package of bills was sent to the House of Councillors. The package includes a repressive bill that will allow investigative authorities to intercept telephone conversations, facsimile and e-mail messages and other communications. To scrap the wiretapping bills, about 8,000 workers and citizens gathered June 24 rally in the Hibiya park in Tokyo.
Militant organizations and workers as well as parties such as Democratic Party, Japan Communist Party and Social Democratic Party participated in the rally. Every speaker condemned wiretapping bills that would disrupt the freedom of communication, a right protected under the Constitution. After the rally workers and citizens demonstrated downtown in Tokyo, shanting slogans of anti-wiretapping bills.
The three bills are a blatant challenge not only to individual privacy but also to anti-government organizations. Wiretapping bills should be scrapped immediately.