Subject: [cwj 141] PARC Statement on Unjust Repression
From: Corporate Watch in Japanese <cwj@corpwatch.org>
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 10:27:57 -0800
Seq: 141
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001
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, he 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 i 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@jca.apc.org
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Corporate Watch in Japanese
Transnational Resource and Action Center (TRAC)
P.O. Box 29344
San Francisco, CA 94129 USA
Tel: 1-415-561-6472
Fax: 1-415-561-6493
Email: cwj@corpwatch.org
URL: http://www.corpwatch-jp.org
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