[asia-apec 1744] Urgent - Unjust Repression in Japan

[APEC Monitoring Group]

Statement Against Unjust Repression of a Citizen's Movement

We strongly protest the unjust repression that has taken place 
towards a citizen's organization.

On March 15, 2001, the Asia Pacific Resource Center (PARC) was 
investigated by nine investigators from the First Public Security 
Section, Public Security Dept, Police Agency, for more than 3 hours 
from 10 AM to 1:30 PM.  

The investigators confiscated: a copy of address stickers of the 
mailing list of PARC's monthly journal 'ALTA (Alternatives)'; a 
journal 'The Passport' published by the Association Considering the 
Judgement of Returnees from Overseas; a journal 'The 21 Century of 
Hope' published by The Hope 21; and one new-year's card from January 
1999 (from an individual currently in Miyagi prison).  

PARC has been conducting citizen activities for 30 years.  As a 
result, it receives many newsletters and journals from other Japanese 
citizen movements. PARC stores them as a part of its resources.  The 
confiscated documents are just a portion of thousands of accumulated 
resources, and they are sold publicly.  The new-year's card is also 
just one of hundreds of new-year's cards received by PARC, and the 
sender.

This search of the office was carried under the pretext of suspicion 
in connection with the arrest of Mr. N in that morning, who was 
suspected of 'hiding a fugitive' referring to the suspect, Ms. 
SHIGENOBU Fusako of the Japanese Red Army, who was arrested last 
November.  This suspicion seems to be groundless, based on the 
arbitrary guesses by the Public Security investigators.  Mr. N is the 
domestic partner of Ms. INOUE Reiko, a former co-president of PARC.

As its Articles of Association and its activity guide clearly state, 
PARC is an organization engaged in the management of PARC Freedom 
School, research and campaigns on environment issues in Asia, 
advocacy towards the government on ODA reform, the publication of the 
journal 'ALTA (Alternatives)', etc. with the purpose of informing 
people about the realities of the environment, human rights and Asian 
countries.  PARC's activities are not connected in any way with the 
Japanese Red Army.  Using the pretext of PARC's relation with the 
partner of Mr. N, the whole office of the organization was searched 
and the subscription list of the journal was confiscated.  This is an 
unlimited expansion of repression.

In addition, TV crews were present, lined up in front of the office 
building, when the police entered to search the office.  This means 
that the police informed the media beforehand.  TV stations broadcast 
the entrance of the office building and the name of PARC, giving the 
impression that PARC is connected to the Japanese Red Army. This is a 
significant and serious obstruction of a citizen's movement's 
activities, including the publication of journals, etc. since PARC 
relies financially on journal subscriptions, etc.  As a result of 
this office search, PARC has already experienced concrete damages 
including a request by the building owner, via the estate agency, for 
it to vacate the building.

While the police information is broadcast as if it were fact, the 
media seldom broadcasts citizen's complaints or objections.  We 
deeply resent that the damage has been worsened by the media on top 
of the office search.

For an organization like PARC, whose activities rely on the 
participation and cooperation of citizens, the office search and the 
confiscation of membership lists have tremendous damage.  We are 
strongly concerned about the expansion of repression if we allow such 
unfair repression this time.

In order to protect citizen's rights and citizen's movement's 
freedom, and to develop civil movements, we strongly claim that it 
unacceptable for the police to search the office of an organization 
which is not directly connected to a suspected incident, and to 
confiscate name lists which are not directly related to the suspected 
incident.

In addition, civil rights include the freedom of organizations to 
publish journals to report about their activities and thoughts, 
whatever these thoughts and principles may be.  Also, keeping 
publications is a part of the freedom of an organization to keep the 
as many records of citizen's movements as possible.

In order to prevent the repetition of such repression, we, as a 
citizen's organization, express here our anger and protest. 


Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) co-Representatives  Mr. MURAI 
Yoshinori Mr. NAKAMURA Hisashi Secretary-General   Ms. MAEDA Miho
3F, Hinoki Bldg., 2-1 Kanda Ogawa-machi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan 101-
0052 tel:81-3-3291-5901 fax:81-3-3292-2437 parc at jca.apc.org