On December 6th, 2013, the Prime Minister Abe and LDP(Liberal Democratic Party of JAPAN)- New Komeito coalition government steamrollered a bill of “State Secret Law” through the Diet against fierce opposition at the plenary session of the House of Councilors in spite of many people demand careful discussions about the bill or discarding it. ZENKYO Central Executive Committee is resolutely opposing enactment of the bill of “State Secret Law,” it oppresses the citizens’ rights, because it not only infringes upon basic principles of the Constitution of Japan but also aim to become “a country can go to war.”

The bill of “State Secret Law” was submitted to the Diet on October 25th, 2013, after 2 weeks deliberations at the House of Representatives and a week deliberations at the House of Councilors. In these short periods of deliberations, the bill was criticized by many areas and revealed its dangerous character. If the government concludes that any information don’t abstract national security, the government will decide these information to be “confidential.” As a matter of fact, a lot of information could be “confidential information” that includes about military affairs, diplomatic intercourse and measures against terrorism or spies. Despite Japanese citizens will never know the list of “confidential information”, “the chief of the administration” will be able to keep a wide range of information as secret. The undesirable law not only hinders the right to know of people but also threaten freedom of research and education.

People had stood together, struggled and campaigned against the bill by various demonstrations in front of the Diet and in many places of Japan to demand discarding the bill. There were ten thousands participants to “Stop the Japan secrecy law!! The big assembly on Nov. 21”, and fifteen thousands participants to “Let’s discard the Japan secrecy law! The big rally on Dec. 6.” Increasingly, major papers expressed their concern over the bill. According to a recent public‐opinion poll on “The Asahi Shimbun (Web Edition on Dec. 1)”, overwhelming numbers of the population took objection to the bill.

As a result, 50% of the population are against to the bill, and only 25% of them supports it. In addition, 73% of the respondents answered as “the bill of State Secret Law should be carried over to the next session, or just discard it” to a question of “what do you think about the bill of State Secret Law?” On the other hand, 14% approves “Enactment of the bill of State Secret Law during the current Diet session.” The tens of thousands people gathered in front of the Diet, and came up with their frustration or anger against the bill towards the end of the extraordinary Diet session. It reflects these people reflect public opinion. The bill was steamrolled at the house of Councilors because members of Parliament were afraid of expanding popular fierce opposition or contradiction of the bill.

While the courageous struggles, ZENKYO had been continued to struggle against a bill of “to eliminate free upper secondary education”, called on all its members as well as all teachers and staffs to participate to daily demonstrations in front of the Diet, observed its committee and submitted petitions to members of the Diet to prevent to be enacted the bill since November 28th, 2013 until the end of the extraordinary Diet session.

The “State Secret Law” and “Peace Principles of the Constitution of Japan” will conflict each other because the bill will be enacted with “the Establishment of a National Security Council Law” which can be sharing information and military strategy with the United States of America; therefore, enactment of the bill will be the first step to exercise a right of collective self-defense, and become a “country which can go to war.”

Moreover, the Prime Minister Abe and LDP- New Komeito coalition government has emphasized movement of adverse amendment of the Constitution of Japan, and tried to foster people who will support “country which can go to war” by implementing of Abe’s “education rebuilding.” ZENKYO will make efforts to expand nationwide solidarity, and to struggle against movement of return to dark society like prewar even if the bill will be steamrolled.

ZENKYO is resolved to keep the constitution of Japan, and make the most of it in schools and education with putting up teachers and staff’s eternal oath, “Never Send Again Our Children to the Battlefields!!”, and struggling against Abe’s “education rebuilding” and adverse amendment of the constitution of Japan.