(this is long, but IMNSHO, worth the read)
What's missing from this thread is a discussion re:why someone sent the
Japanese PSIA employee list to JYA.
Please note that Shigeo Kifuji is the head of the Public Security
Investigation Agency, or the PSIA. Obviously, he is not the person who has
been in contact with JYA or the person who posted the document to
alt.security.espionage.
The PSIA has been called an agency without a cause. The Agency was formed in
1952 to keep track of communist activity in Japan, but it seemingly has had
little utility and has been accused of keeping too close of a watch on
Japanese citizens. In 1997, the Japanese government decided to trim the
ranks of the PSIA.
The Agency came under a lot of heat back in 1997 when they tried (but
failed) to apply the Antisubversive Activities Law to the Aum Shinrikyo
cult. Since there was no clear danger of further subversive activity by Aum
(they we hemorrhaging members and losing much of their
financial base at that point), a higher commission refused to apply the law.
Had the law been exercised, the entire Aum cult would have been forced to
disband.
Aum Shinrikyo, now called 'Aleph', has since regrouped and has prospered
from numerous commercial ventures including a nation-wide chain of
Fry's-like electronics stores. The general consensus in Japan is that Aleph
is becoming a renewed threat (though I'm honestly not exactly sure why this
is).
This past year, The PSIA was given new powers to track Aum Shinrikyo. A
newly passed law:
1) allows the PSIA to conduct on-site investigations
2) compels Aum to report names of executives, followers, addresses of
facilities, and assets to the PSIA.
3) requires Aum to report who maintains and updates their website.
Amnesty International expressed concern regarding this legislation in its
annual report published last month.
Granted Aum carried out terrorist activity (and this was *not* activity
protesting gov't actions against the cult--this was simply action to
accelerate Armageddon), the community at large did not treat them very well.
After the Tokyo gas scare, I was shocked to find that some districts were
not letting Aum children attend public schools. Some mayors refused to let
Aum believers register themselves in their towns, and some Aum followers
were chased out of their own neighborhoods. Some banks refused to let them
open bank accounts. It was all highly reminiscent of 'The Crucible'.
What does this have to do with JYA and the PSIA employee list?
In my analysis, quite a lot. The PSIA list poster clearly stated
his/her/their displeasure with the nature of the Aum cult's treatment for
one. In addition, the Aum trials have finally winded their way to verdicts.
On July 17th, two Aum members were sentenced to death
for their roles in the 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack, so I wouldn't be
surprised if the verdict and the posting are linked. This is also a timely
moment as the G-8 is presently meeting in Japan.
I am not an apologist for Aum. They have kidnapped and murdered numerous
people. They tried to get a sample of the Ebola virus, possibly to use in
lieu of sarin gas. They broke into private commercial facilities to steal
technical documents. They gassed
a few subway cars of people to draw attention to what they hoped would be
the coming Armageddon. They were largely left alone before the Tokyo
incident. Their actions are not defendable.
But that does not necessarily warrant the wide-scale surveillance of all Aum
members or the activities of the PSIA.
'just thought I'd put this into context.
-Kristen
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Kristen Tsolis
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fingerprint: F0E6 30D7 ED82 1BE4 8C31 8219 4636 9186 66E4 8623
