Japan's new state-secrets law gives leakers up to 10 years in prison

[geeteam]

Japan has enacted a new state-secrets law that strengthens punishments for journalists and government officials who leak or seek top secrets - Reuters. The legislation has been met with protests and criticism by the public, with many fearing that the law will be used to silence media outlets or allow government officials to cover up their actions. Reuters reports that under the law, public employees and others with access to state secrets could be jailed up to 10 years for leaking them, while journalists and other private sector employees could be jailed up to five years for seeking out state secrets through "grossly inappropriate" means.

But many are concerned that private employees could be punished simply for seeking information that they weren't aware was a state secret in the first place. Reuters reports that leaders of all ministries will have the authority to create state secrets that are held for up to 60 years — sometimes longer. According to the Associated Press, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pressed for the law, saying that it was a necessity for protecting national security and ensuring that the United States was comfortable sharing sensitive information with them.

Others have shown concern around the lack of oversight written into the new law, reports the AP. Lawmakers also showed concern over how it would impact business between private and public employees. "People will be living in a society where they could be punished for not knowing what’s secret and what’s not," Sohei Nihi, a Japan Communist Party legislator, reportedly said while arguing against the bill. Even some members of the prime minister's own party felt that the legislation had been passed too quickly. "I think there needs to be more explanation," Takashi Uto, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Abe, tells the AP.

The government says that it will work to explain the law. "We think that this law is extremely important for our connections with our allies and other foreign nations," chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga tells Reuters. "I believe that people will come to understand."

The legislation's passing comes as US government secrets continue to spill out from information leaked by Edward Snowden. Japan's bill is seen as an attempt to crack down on the potential for this same type of whistleblowing activity. While it's not evident how the law will be utilized yet, it's clear that many are concerned over its potential applications.

Source

[Arion]

Democracy is becoming dictatorship.

[Ambrocious]

This tells me that Japan too of course has something to hide. This is a global plan and country after country wil adopt tryanny as the rule of law. I have mentioned the New World Order before, people really should become situatied with the reality of this plan that is continually being constructed in the form of International Laws which apply to all nations. Laws that strip the every day ordinary people of freedoms, goodness, and kindness are being put in place in preperation for when the REALLY drop the hammer.

The governments of the world have been preparing for something to happen that appears to be a global event or at least something that affects the whole Planet. Keep your eyes open and look up.

[dMog]

why is nobody talking about the north Korean internment camps..entire families are imprisoned and small children tortured... talk about a government with something to hide and is actually doing repressive things to their own people.... but that is ok because they are enemies of the USA

[karachidude]

why is nobody talking about the north Korean internment camps..entire families are imprisoned and small children tortured... talk about a government with something to hide and is actually doing repressive things to their own people.... but that is ok because they are enemies of the USA

why is nobody talking about the USA, highest crime rate in the world, highest rape rate in the world, every 32 second a women is being raped, with a staggering number of child molestation cases, a society teaming with single mothers raising there illegitimate children, working hard day and night to feed and raise them, because the men move on to the next best thing so often and easily, the children end up mentally and physically tortured played around by subsequent boyfriends and husbands, what about these vicious crimes happening to these people, women and children?6.2 per Capita are drug addicts on top of that sadly, the most obese country(USA) in the world doesn't look in very good shape now does it? If you think you need to take sides because of the Christian brotherhood thing, don't, majority of the youth there are turning out to be agnostics and atheists. :(

China, Russia, Pakistan and the likes should form a block of some sort and do something about the heinous crimes and ugly situation, there(USA) democracy and all that freedom of speech bullshit crap is fake too by the way! :)

[Beamslider]

Yeah because there is no suppression or crime in Pakistan......

[Ambrocious]

Governments globally are natoriously responsible for more deaths of thier own people than wars, check this out, this is an answer to you dMog:

Edited December 8, 2013 by Ambrocious

[flitox]

why is nobody talking about the north Korean internment camps..entire families are imprisoned and small children tortured... talk about a government with something to hide and is actually doing repressive things to their own people.... but that is ok because they are enemies of the USA

how come the USA haven't liberate the north Korean people now that the USSR is dead???

i'd be curious of what those japanese state secrets are?? or are they just preparing their olympic games to come by avoiding any information leaks about the nuclear radiation level in the country or near the olympic sites??

Edited December 8, 2013 by flitox

[Ambrocious]

The radiation is a BIG deal. People need to know now that they should be preparing to protect themselves against radiation for our health sake.