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| October 18, 2011 |
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| Anti-Nuclear Energy Demonstration Oppressed |
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Ms Amamiya Karin, a writer, raised a criticism in the Mainichi Shinbun column dated October 5 concerning a series of the recent oppressive actions of police authority against anti-nuclear energy demonstrators. She writes that 'participants were arrested as if they had committed a crime, though they only walked in the street parades and voiced loudly'. Citizens have the right of demonstration and freedom of expression. Oppression is illegitimate.
TEPCO & GOVERNMENT - RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIMINAL ACCIDENT
Amamiya continues: no one of the politicians was arrested by police, though they had long supported and advocated Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and encouraged nuclear power generation. It is those people who have made children in Fukushima be exposed to risks of radiation and inhabitants around the plant deprived of the very means of survival. Lawmakers are not condemned for any crime.'
Nuclear Accident is Crime
What the young writer says is true. Anti-nuke demonstrators appeal 'Nuclear Energy, No! They go out to the street, reacting to the serious meltdown accident. It is quite natural. The right to appeal is guaranteed by Constitution. But the police authority restricts and arrests citizens for violation of the Road Traffic Act, impedance of official duties and disturbance of public order, etc. Such police acts are incompatible with a democratic society.
An extraordinary amount of radioactive elements has been emitted after the accident, which inflicts not only people in Fukushima and the rest of prefectures across the country but also of Asia and various regions of the world. The nuclear disaster destroys and damages nature, too. High probability is accounted of many deaths of cancer due to fallout from the crippled Fukushima plant, but those responsible for the crime, including TEPCO's executives-in-charge as well as lawmakers and bureaucrats who had promoted nuclear energy, are not accused of any crime, not to mention a charge of inflicting injury. That is illegitimate.
Mr. Karatani Kojin, a literature commentator, harshly accuses police brutality, declaring in the joint communiqué, Freedom of Demonstration and Activities in the Squares, issued September 26: 'TEPCO, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the government have concealed and underestimated the calamitous outcomes which may provoke numerous deaths in the near future. This is an evident, criminal act.'
Still Clings to Nuclear Energy - Government
Recently elected Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko has gone through zigzags: at his inauguration he expressed an 'anti-nuclear' stance, and today, after making some backward steps, he openly declares to 'resume operating reactors'. His attitudes link with the recent suppressive police acts against street demonstrators. That reflects persistence of the government which looks for a chance to back to the previous nuclear stance after shutting up voices of protest.
On September 26 a civic organization, Emergency Council on Fukushima Nuclear Accident, composed of various citizens' groups, like Kempo-wo-Ikasu-Kai (=Associations to Vitalize Constitution), announced a statement to protest the police attacks against citizens. It says 'the council harshly condemns police repression which aims to socially confine anti-nuclear voices as an evil to disturb the public order. The authority takes hostile actions against demonstrators who accuse the accident and demand to give up nuclear power. A series of escalated pressure and arrests constitutes a political response of the government which is panic-stricken by the extended moves to abandon nuclear generation.
Complete Betrayal of DPJ Government
Elderly and young, elementary schoolchildren, mothers with infants, and etc., join parades in the street. Disaster-hit people and evacuees take part in too. They desperately shout 'No More Nuclear', 'Don't Repeat One More Fukushima'. For some participants it is the first time to join in the street protest.
The government of Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) replies to these appeals by police action instead of sincere talks with people. What does the government want to do? The DPJ has completely betrayed people.
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