Update on the Tokyo Two
Blog Post
Wednesday 16th July 2008, 4:02pm
by TimNorton in
In an update on our previous post, we now have more information on the two Greenpeace activists who were arrested in Japan following a four-month investigation into activities onboard the Japanese factory whaling ship and what happens to the whale meat that is processed following their 'scientific' research.
Greenpeace intercepted one of many boxes of whale meat smuggled off the Nisshin Maru disguised as personal baggage, exposing the fact that choice pieces of whale meat were being given to certain crew members for personal gain and that Japanese taxpayers were footing the bill. Once the Greenpeace investigation had been finalised, all the evidence - including the box of whale meat, was handed to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor, who began a formal investigation.
The Australian Greens are extremely concerned that these activists are being held without charge by Japanese police; it would appear these actions are politically motivated to shut down the successful Greenpeace campaign. It is hard to think otherwise when the Japanese Authorities sent in forty police to raid the Greenpeace offices and seize all computers and financial records. This is a disproportionate reaction to this matter.
Human rights groups from inside and outside of Japan have commented on the arrests. The Japanese Lawyers' Network for Human Rights Observation around the G8 Summit (WATCH) issued a statement on June 28th in which they write:
“The arrest of the two activists is not only a human rights violation with regard to the unjustifiable arrest, detention and investigation, but also a challenge against the freedom of expression. Police repression against the activists' denunciation obstructs the legitimate activities of both Japanese civil society and international society and is therefore internationally unacceptable and subject to global criticism as an affront to humanity.”
On July 9th, 2008 Transparency International posted a statement on their website which reads:
“Transparency International (TI) expresses its solidarity with two Greenpeace activists detained after publishing a report alleging corruption within the Japanese sponsored South Ocean whaling programme, and asks for clarity about the motives of these arrests. The two detained Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki had investigated and documented activities onboard a Japanese whaling ship and the resulting sale of whale meat processed during the scientific research undertaken on board. TI requests to release the two at once because it is unnecessary to bind them any longer. TI denounces attempts - even unintentional ones - to intimidate or silence NGOs and nonviolent civil society actors. TI expresses its concern about the drop by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor of its investigation into the Greenpeace allegations of assumed corruption published in the above mentioned report. The authorities in charge should take the necessary steps to either reintroduce the investigations or clarify the reasons for abandoning the case.”
Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International, wrote in a letter to Greenpeace on July 4th;
“Oxfam International supports calls to the Japanese authorities to release the Greenpeace protestors Junichi Sato and Tori Suzuki, who have been detained for several days without charge. We believe that this lengthy detention is unnecessary and excessive, given the fact that they are protesting about an issue of public interest rather than pursuing personal gain.”
The Australian Greens respectfully request the Japanese Government investigate these allegations and consider whether procedural fairness and due legal process has been pursued in this instance under Japanese law.
We are concerned that evidence was presented to Japanese Authorities showing that whale meat had been used as ‘gifts’, that a significant amount of meat had been thrown overboard and that meat from diseased whales was being processed.
Further, the Greens want to express concern that the people who brought these allegations to the attention of the international community are currently being held without charge. Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki have cooperated with police in Aomori and with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor, giving written statements and offered to present themselves to the police at any time. Their arrests therefore appear to be arbitrary.
The Working Group on the modernisation of the IWC will convene in September to begin the discussions surrounding the future direction of the commission. At this time, there has been no commitment from Japan to stop its 'scientific' whaling operations. Good faith and trust building has been asked for by all sides, but it is difficult to believe that the Japanese government is acting in good faith given that it has not yet agreed to end its Southern Ocean whaling program. Rather, it continues to hold two of its own citizens without charge for questioning the activities of this tax-payer funded program and has chosen to investigate the whistleblowers rather than the activity itself.
The Greens will be writing to the Japanese Prime Minister, requesting that Japan investigate these allegations, as well as putting forward a motion in the Australian Senate expressing concern over the issue, and urging immediate action.
You can read the full Greenpeace report on the evidence collected and sign the petition to the Japanese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to demand the activists’ immediate release.
Bookmark and share
Being held without charge
Being held without charge for nearly a month, possibly more, will bring great shame on Japan. It is behaviour we expected of a third world dictatorship, not a modern first world democracy.
"We are concerned that
"We are concerned that evidence was presented to Japanese Authorities showing that whale meat had been used as ‘gifts’ ..."
It WAS used as gifts.
The whaling company which purchases the whale meat from the ICR is charged with handling sales of the meat to the general markets and for public purposes, and of the meat they purchase they gift some to their hard-working employees, who are the pride of Japan.
"... it continues to hold two of its own citizens without charge for questioning the activities of this tax-payer funded program ..."
They HAVE been charged, and it's for theft and trespass, and they are going to be standing trial as well.
"... it would appear these actions are politically motivated to shut down the successful Greenpeace campaign ..."
Here in Japan, the Greenpeace campaign was not successful at all. It has been a public relations disaster for them, and they continue to receive large amounts of criticism from the general public.
Everyone accepts and tolerates Greenpeace's mandate from it's western donors to complain about whaling activities, but it is not acceptable to commit trespass or theft, as these are crimes.
Are trespass and theft not crimes in Australia?
mcfarm, The shame is on you
mcfarm,
The shame is on you and the groups such as the Australian Greens who continue to spread lies and misinformation about Japan on this matter.
Also, the Greenpeace
Also, the Greenpeace criminals have been let out on bail for 4 million yen each.
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, I am
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, I am pleased that charges have been laid and they will stand trial.
Japan's shame is that for minor crimes people have held without charge for so long. In any civilised society it is considered an injustice to be held without charge. Once charges have been laid the law will take it's course, and justice may or may not be served.
The fact that you refer to these people as 'criminals' before they have been to trial proves the prejudices you hold. Perhaps in Japan those arrested are guilty until proven innocent? If not, perhaps you should reconsider where the shame belongs.
Matsumoto - If Kyodo
Matsumoto -
If Kyodo Senpaku, the company that operates the whaling ships, was legally giving out whale meat to the crew then...
Why did they change their story three times in almost as many days?
(The fisheries agency and Kyodo Senpaku first denied that staff were allowed to bring meat home as souvenirs, but
changed that after the evidence was released.)
Why did the label on the box full of whale meat say it contained "cardboard"?
Why, before the scandal was exposed, did an official of the Japanese Fisheries agency claim that whale meat was never given to crew?
Why has the government put so much effort into prosecuting two Greenpeace activists, and stopped investigating the crime we uncovered?
However we disagree about whaling, you should admit that this is a deliberate attempt by powerful forces to silence criticism of Japan's whaling industry.
We have never met, but person to person, I hope we can at least agree that justice should be impartial. I hope we can also agree, that when we see injustice and corruption there is an obligation to act.
I look forward to your response, and an end to commercial whaling industry.
mcfarm, The criminals
mcfarm,
The criminals themselves admit to having stolen the package, it hardly needs a trial to be proved.
In Japan, trespass and theft are not considered ”minor crimes". Also consider that Greenpeace Japan claimed the goods they stole were worth 300,000 yen. This is not pocket money.
I wonder if the agrieved victims of this crime have been recompensated by Greenpeace Japan or not yet.
Andrew, Greenpeace Japan's
Andrew,
Greenpeace Japan's report itself says that Kyodo Senpaku KK distributes whale meat to individuals as souvenirs. This is exactly what Kyodo Senpaku has said, and what the prosecutors office determined as well. So, the investigations were dropped, because it was not embezzlement. The crew members said so, and their employer, Kyodo Senpaku said so.
This is why the police stopped investigating Greenpeace's allegations. Because what Greenpeace had found through their stalking activities and trespass and theft, was the fact that Kyodo Senpaku gives souvenirs to their crew.
Giving souvenirs to one's employee's is not a crime, here in Japan.
You say that Kyodo Senpaku denied that they distribute souvenirs to their workers, what is the basis upon which you make this claim? I have seen no such claim.
"Why did the label on the box full of whale meat say it contained “cardboard”?" --> It was written on the delivery slip that the package to be sent was a cardboard box, it did not say that the cardboard box contained cardboard.
"Why, before the scandal was exposed, did an official of the Japanese Fisheries agency claim that whale meat was never given to crew?" --> I understand that you have read Greenpeace's English report about their fairy tale. However, if you could read original Japanese report you would understand that translation to English was inaccurate. This is the cause of your misunderstanding. I believe it was a deliberate manipulation of the information by Greenpeace. Or perhaps Chinese whispers at best.
"Why has the government put so much effort into prosecuting two Greenpeace activists" --> The Aomori police received a complaint about a stolen package, they investigated, and found that a crime had been committed. Nothing less is expected of the Japanese police.
"you should admit that this is a deliberate attempt by powerful forces to silence criticism of Japan’s whaling industry.
" --> Crazy talk. Greenpeace activists are tolerated. However, like all other citizens, Greenpeace activists should not commit crimes such as trespass and theft. If they do, they will be prosecuted as would anybody else.
"I hope we can also agree, that when we see injustice and corruption there is an obligation to act." --> This is why the Greenpeace activists have been arrested and charged, and the people who received souvenirs from their employers have not.
The Greens don't seem to be
The Greens don't seem to be up to date with what's happening in Japan about the Greenpeace activists who were arrested for theft and trespass.
As of july 15th, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki were released on bail after Greenpeace Japan made a request to the Aomori court. The NGO paid 4 millions Yen (about 40,000 Australian dollars) for each of them.
The charges stay though, and the two will have to go to court for their trial.
Funnily, Greenpeace doesn't mention the bail in its press releases. I doesn't fit with the image of victims, I suppose.
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, in Japan
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, in Japan if something is taken/removed/stolen and then handed to police, is that a major crime? Is trespass really a major crime in Japan? In both cases and for the citizens of Japan's sake, I sincerely hope not.
Robert Shimamura-Smith, thank you for that detail, are you able to say how long Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki were held without charge? Also how long was it after the box was handed over until their arrest? A simple time line would be most helpful. Thank you.
mcfarm, it was only handed
mcfarm, it was only handed to the police more than a month after it was originally stolen, and only after Greenpeace had received severe public criticism for having stolen the package without the consent of the transport company nor it's rightful owner, as part of Greenpeace's poor charade alleging crimes by whalers for the negative-publicity / slander purposes.
The vast majority of citizens of Japan have no problem in not taking/removing/stealing property belonging to others or pretending they have such investigative authority, and also no problem refraining from trespassing on private property. As this is no problem at all for normal people, your sincere concern for Japanese citizens is not required at all, thank you. Japan is a society where people must take responsibility for their own actions. It was not necessary for Greenpeace to stalk the whalers, and their subsequent crimes in engaging in this activity are solely their responsibility. Japan would be a strange place to live if crazy cult-like groups were able to make false accusations based on their warped imaginations every day of the week, and get away with commiting various crimes in the process of doing so.
Apparently, an Australian
Apparently, an Australian was involved in the crime as well. This person's name has not yet been revealed in the media. But this explains why Australians are interested in defending criminals.
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, if you
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, if you and your fellow citizens cannot see that being held without charge for extended periods is one of the hallmarks of a police state, then the rest of the world should fear for the future of Japan and her people.
If an Australian was involved, he or she should be arrested and charged forthwith.
mcfarm, I personally am more
mcfarm, I personally am more concerned about common criminals being protected for political purposes by foreigners. This is dangerous indeed. I doubt anyone would be held without charge for a long time if they were not eventually going to be charged, but sure, I take your point about that. At the end of the day, they were charged and deserved to be.
Matsumoto - I have only
Matsumoto -
I have only ever been to Japan once, and I did find it a strange (though wonderful) place. :) So I am sure you will humor me when I ask....
Is it really normal (as you say) to label a box "cardboard" because it is made out of "cardboard" (rather than saying what is inside the box)?
Where I come from postal and customs official prefer boxes to be labeled with their contents.
FYI - A close up of the consignment label is here...
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/photos/consignment-sheet-detailing-i
Also, in a case where a single box was taken, then turned over to police by the same people that took it (who also provided detailed written statements)...
Is it normal for 40 police to then raid five different locations?
Somehow, I do not think this is normal, not even in Japan.
Robert - Do you mean this
Robert - Do you mean this press release?
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/activists-released-time-to-in
It mentions "bail" in the first sentence.
Anyway, I don't think it's up to this blogs owner to keep this comment thread constantly up to date - no matter how spirited a discussion we're having here. The Green party in Australia has quite a few more things on their plate than only a whale meat embezzlement scandal in Japan. I'm happy they've taken notice at all.
Andrew, the package was
Andrew, the package was transported via domestic shipment, I do not believe there is reason to write the detailed contents.
If we use the common sense, if one is to attempt to conceal the shipment of 23 kgs of whale meat and make out that these heavy items are something else, I think it is certain that one would not write the contents as "cardboard", which is very light, certainly no where near 23 kgs.
I suppose the Greenpeace people would say they believed the whaler must be very stupid. Perhaps, the opposite is more likely true?
Matsumoto Kiyoshi @ 14, "I
Matsumoto Kiyoshi @ 14, "I personally am more concerned about common criminals being protected for political purposes by foreigners. This is dangerous indeed."
I see that xenophobia remains alive and well in Japan. It is support for detention without charge coupled with xenophobia that is 'dangerous indeed'.
Please can everyone be civil
Please can everyone be civil or I will have to close comments on this thread.
As has already been
As has already been established, the criminals have been charged with crimes and will appear in court.
My problem is not with foreigners generally, my problem is with foreigners seeking to protect criminals from facing justice. To be fair, a small number of Japanese citizens too (Greenpeace supporters) have also been complaining about the criminals being treated like criminals.
Tim, I apologize to
Tim, I apologize to Greenpeace supporters if any were offended by my suggestion that Greenpeace activists are more stupid than whaling ship crew.
An important fact seems to
An important fact seems to be overlooked in all the furor on this issue. The criminal complaint against these two men was filed by the private shipping company from where the package was stolen. The complaint was not filed by the whaling company or the crewmember shipping the package. A crime was committed against this private company. I think they have every right to expect the police to investigate and arrest the perpetrators.
Much has been made over the fact that Greenpeace offered to cooperate with the police. In the U.S. the police,normally, do not allow people accused of crimes to determine the nature or course of their investigation.
Macfarm, in post #10, you stated "...if something is taken/removed/stolen and then handed to police, is that a major crime? Is tresspass really a major crime in Japan?". Are you suggesting that only MAJOR crimes should be investigated and prosecuted? Conversely, are you suggesting that private citizens should be allowed to commit crimes at their discretion? The police are required to obtain a search warrant before seizing potential evidence. Are you suggesting that private citizens should be allowed to 'intercept' and 'obtain' potential evidence at their leisure?
Tim Hollo @ 19, I assume the
Tim Hollo @ 19, I assume the 'be civil' comment is directed, in part, at my xenophobia comments, and I apologise for the sarcastic nature of my comment to Matsumoto Kiyoshi.
That said, xenophobia has been recognised by the UN as being systemic and all pervasive in Japanese society. After a fact finding mission, Doudou Diene, the special investigator for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, stated that discrimination in Japan is "deep and profound" and that the problem is a public with a "strong xenophobic drive." So when Matsumoto Kiyoshi linked: criminals, political manipulation, foreigners, dangerous, and fear in two short sentences, I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) "the strong xenophobic drive" of the Japanese was on display.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-07/2005-07-11-voa9.cfm?CFID=...
Mark, the point I was trying to make is about the appropriate use of force and procedure. I assume there is a difference between a major and minor crime in Japan? Or are 'jay walkers' held without charge for extended periods too? And no, I am not saying that anyone is or should be above the law - period.
Matsumato Kiyoshi and
Matsumato Kiyoshi and mcfarm, neither calling those who have not yet been tried "criminals" nor calling an entire nation xenophobic is appropriate to this blog.
We have open moderation that lets through comments for anyone who has already had a comment accepted. This can be reversed for individuals who do not comply with our comments policy.
Mcfarm, I don't have any
Mcfarm,
I don't have any specific knowledge about what the Japanese consider to be major or minor crimes. However, they DO seem to take a dim view of ANY crime,even crimes that others consider to be minor. I also don't know if 'jay walkers' are held for extended periods of time. I suppose it is possible for that to happen. Japanese law allows the police to hold people for up to 23 days.
I believe it is safe to say that we both agree that no one should be above the law. You said, ".....the point I was trying to make is about the appropriate use of force and procedure."
This case involves Japanese citizens, breaking Japanese law, in Japan. Are you suggesting that the Japanese police should consult other countries governments and/or people on the 'appropriate use of force' before acting in accordance with Japanese law? Do you think that Japanese lawmakers should consider other countries views and opinions when enacting laws for Japan? I do not always agree with other peoples laws or customs. However, I respect their right to determine those things for themselves, in their country.
FYI, the reason given for
FYI, the reason given for the two alleged criminals was because the judge was concerned that the two men would cover-up evidence of the alleged crime, such as details of Greenpeace's organizational backing of the alleged crime, the planned nature of the alleged crime, and the roles of the alleged perpetrators of the crime.
I suppose the same would not be the case where jay walking were concerned.
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/trial/080701/trl0807011447002-n1.htm
Excuse me, the reason ---
Excuse me, the reason --- for the two being held for questioning before they were finally charged.
Very strange
Very strange reasoning.
Junichi and Toru voluntarily gave the police the box of whale meat (and asked nicely for an investigation of it).
They also presented written statements about exactly what they did and why.
A correction for
A correction for Matsumoto:
Actually, the box of whale meat was not reported stolen to the police until AFTER Greenpeace held a press conference with it, and turned it over to the police. (A month after it was stolen.
Maybe the shipping company didn't notice that it went missing. But why didn't the crew member who's house it was sent to report it?
Today the whalers announced
Today the whalers announced they've investigated the whole thing and declared themselves innocent...
http://www.icrwhale.org/pdf/080718KyodoSenpakuRelease.pdf
The whistle blowers (inside the whaling industry) that tipped Greenpeace off originally, have said all along that it's very likely ICR and Kyodo Senpaku officials know about the whale meat smuggling. Here's a video interview with one of them...
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/whale-meat-scandal-150408
The ICR has zero credibility in my book anyway, and today's press release sure doesn't change my opinion.
Response from Greenpeace is here:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/whale-meat-scandal-questions180708