Japanese Public Warns Against "National Intelligence Agency"
On the morning of the 13th, Japan passed a bill at the cabinet meeting regarding the establishment of the "National Intelligence Council" and the "National Intelligence Agency" responsible for specific affairs. The purpose is to strengthen the coordination and command functions in the fields of intelligence collection and analysis.
According to the Japanese Asahi Shimbun on the 13th, the "National Intelligence Council" will be led by the Prime Minister, with members including 11 cabinet ministers such as the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Minister, and Defense Minister, responsible for deliberating on "important intelligence activities" in areas such as national security and counter-terrorism, as well as "overseas intelligence activities" related to foreign spies. At the same time, the "National Intelligence Agency" will serve as the secretariat of this council, and also act as the command center for intelligence collection and analysis activities. The existing Cabinet Intelligence Research Office under the leadership of the Chief Cabinet Secretary will be upgraded, and its head will be appointed as a "National Intelligence Director" at the level of a parliamentary vice-minister. This agency will not only conduct intelligence collection work independently, but will also be granted "comprehensive coordination authority" to gather intelligence from various ministries and conduct overall analysis.
According to reports, the Japanese government submitted the bill to the Diet on the 13th and plans to establish these institutions as early as July. Once established, the "National Intelligence Council" is expected to formulate the "National Intelligence Strategy", which will serve as the basic guideline for the government's intelligence policy and also Japan's first national strategy within the year.
In response, the Shinano Daily News on the 13th criticized the Japanese government's move, stating that it evokes memories of the historical event in 1940, the year before the outbreak of the Pacific War, when the Cabinet Intelligence Department was elevated to the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau. At that time, Japan's intelligence and security agencies wielded immense power to suppress freedom of speech and thought, and mobilized the people towards war through control of information. Japan should not repeat such mistakes. We must once again confirm that the reason Japan has not established a unified and centralized system of intelligence and security agencies after the war is closely related to the peace-oriented principles advocated by the Japanese Constitution.
The Tokyo Shimbun's editorial stated that since安倍 (Shinzo Abe) was re-elected as Prime Minister of Japan in 2012, the Japanese government has continuously strengthened legislation related to public security, including the "Special Secrets Protection Law" and the "Conspiracy Crime Law." On this basis, if policies such as the establishment of the "National Intelligence Agency" are introduced, surveillance of citizens may further intensify.
The editorial also mentioned that looking back at the pre-war and wartime periods, the Japanese military police and special high police had conducted strict surveillance of Japanese citizens, thoroughly suppressed those who opposed the war or were unwilling to cooperate, and ultimately led Japan into disaster. Such history must not be repeated. (Global Times reporter Liu Yating)
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859602854169612/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.