A shift in public opinion in Japan
It’s been a week of development and progress for Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, the Tokyo Two, and for whales. Significantly, a shift in public opinion here in Japan is now evident. The smoke-screen created by the former Government when they publicly placed the Tokyo Two under arrest, and charged for theft and trespass has begun to dissipate and the spotlight is shifting back on to the real issues: corruption in government subsidised programmes, the censoring of public information, Japan’s adherence to international law, freedom of speech, the right of individual protest, and finally, the commercial killing of thousands of whales under the guise of scientific research.
For the first time, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council has issued an opinion finding Japan responsible for a breach of human rights - in Junichi and Toru’s case. The working group informed the Japanese Government that its treatment contravened Junichi and Toru’s basic human rights, and that the Tokyo Two were justified in carrying out their investigation in the way they did.
Since then, and following last week’s submission of an appeal to Japan’s Prosecution Inquest Committee to re-open the official whale meat embezzlement scandal investigation, this issue was raised with the current Japanese Government during a meeting between Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo and Parliamentary Vice Minister Ms.Chinami Nishimura from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fact that Ms. Nishimura and thereby the Government of Japan is now willing to formally dialogue and engage with us is a testimony to the power of the support we have received from all you, around the world, and the increasing support within Japan.
