Posts Tagged ‘national security’
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5 February 2015
NGOs, Media Groups Criticize Draft Cambodian Secrets Law
A proposed Cambodian law to protect state secrets is being criticized by nongovernmental organizations, opposition legislators and media watchdogs, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The proposed legislation could be used by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to stifle leaks about official corruption and other political information the public […]
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5 February 2015
Debate intelligently: more openness, less secrecy
By Eduardo Bertoni The author is Director of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) at the University of Palermo. Also in Spanish. This week started in the Honorable Senate of Argentina the debate on the reform of the Law 25,520 , known as the “Law of National Intelligence” […]
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11 December 2014
Japan’s State Secrets Law Takes Effect Amid Protests
Japan’s new state secrets law took effect Dec. 10, with critics still protesting, according to articles in The Ashai Shimbun, The Guardian, Japan Times, The Wall Street Journal and the World Bulletin. The law mandates prison terms of up to 10 years for public officials who leak state secrets. Journalists and those who encourage such […]
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6 November 2014
FOI Notes: Corporate Transparency, Tshwane, India, UK, US, Open Data, More
Corporate Transparency: Transparency International issues a report on Transparency in Corporate Reporting about the websites of the world’s 124 largest publicly traded companies. Also see Guardian article. Tshwane Principles: Open Society Foundations issues “a new and final version of the Global Principles on National Security and the Right to Information (the Tshwane Principles) in Spanish. […]
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9 October 2014
Japan Wrongly Blames U.S. For Repressive Japanese Secrecy Law
By Morton Halperin and Molly Hofsommer Halperin is Senior Advisor to the Open Society Foundations and Hofsammer is an OSF Research Assistant. Their article was published Oct. 5 in The Huffington Post. In Japan, a draconian secrecy law that will severely limit public debate on national security issues is about to go into effect. Not […]
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11 September 2014
TI UK Issues Report on National Security, Access
A new report from Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme “calls for better legislation that balances national security concerns with the public right to access information,” according to a Sept 11 press release. “A strong defence and security sector can coexist with the ability of citizens to access to information and hold leaders to […]
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20 August 2014
How Serious Were Japan’s Information Leaks?
By Lawrence Repeta The author teaches law at Meiji University and is a regular FreedomInfo.org contributor. Japan in 2013 passed an Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets and is now developing the implementing regulations. The law was recently critiqued by the United National Human Rights Committee. (See Freedominfo.org report.) Does Japan really have an information security problem? […]
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28 April 2014
FOI Notes: India, US, Malawi, Open Data, OGP Job
India: One winner of the 2014 Goldman Environmental prize, Ramesh Agrawal of India, is an active RTI user. The announcement said: “With a small internet café as his headquarters, Ramesh Agrawal organized villagers to demand their right to information about industrial development projects and succeeded in shutting down one of the largest proposed coal mines […]
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9 December 2013
A Blow to Transparency; Japan Passes Secrecy Bill
By Joel Rheuben Rheuben is an Australian lawyer resident in Japan. Japan’s “State Secrecy Bill”, previously reported on here, passed the upper house of Japan’s legislature on Dec. 6 to become law, even as large groups of protestors jostled with police outside. Public interest in the now-State Secrets Law had soared in recent weeks, helped […]
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2 December 2013
UN Committee Urges Review of Surveillance Policies
A United Nations committee Nov. 26 adopted a resolution on “The right to privacy in the digital age.” “Through this resolution, the General Assembly establishes, for the first time, that human rights should prevail irrespective of the medium and therefore need to be protected both offline and online,” Brazil’s representative said, according to a UN […]
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27 November 2013
Diet Approves Secrecy Bill After Slight Changes
Japan’s Diet Nov. 26 approved an internationally and domestically criticized “secrecy protection” law which imposes stiffer penalties on officials who leak information – and journalists who seek it. Premier Shinzo Abe said it was “urgent” to pass the law, which he said will allow Japan to receive national security information from the United States and […]
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26 November 2013
FOI Notes: Media, Security, India, U.S., Research
Media: The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has issued a volume analyzing the challenges and opportunities presented to journalists as they attempt to hold governments accountable in an era of professed transparency.” Security Sector: The Transparency and Accountability Initiative, the producers of the Open Government Guide have invited comments on a draft chapter […]
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26 November 2013
Groups Urge OGP Leaders to Address Secret Surveillance
More than 100 civil society organizations worldwide have expressed “grave concern” over secret government surveillance and urged national leaders to reform their national laws. The Nov. 25 letter was addressed to the new co-chairs of the Open Government Partnership. The effort was coordinated by the Worldwide Web Foundation The letter said: We join other civil […]
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22 November 2013
UN Officials Express Concern About Japan Secrecy Bill
The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression and on the right to health on Nov. 22 “expressed serious concern about the draft Special Secrets Bill, which establishes grounds and procedures for the classification of information held by the Japanese State,” according to a UN press release. They requested further information from the Japanese […]
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25 October 2013
Japan Moving to Pass National Security Bill
The Japanese Cabinet has approved a controversial bill to protect state secrets. The current developments are described in a Reuters article by Linda Sieg and Kiyoshi Takenaka and in Japan Times by Ayako Mie. The bill is expected to pass later this year. A broad perspective is provided an analysis article by Lawrence Repeta, who teaches law at […]
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7 October 2013
Abe Promotes Secrecy, Sidelining Transparency and OGP
By Jeff Kingston Kingston is Director of Asian Studies, Temple University Japan. Norika Fujiwara, a TV celebrity who serves as goodwill Ambassador for the Japanese Red Cross, recently caused a media sensation when she came out against the government’s proposed secrecy legislation, saying it would adversely affect citizens. Writing on her website last month, she urged […]
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3 October 2013
European Advisory Group Backs Tshwane Principles
A body of European parliamentarians that bills itself as “the democratic conscience of Greater Europe” has endorsed “reasonable limits” on the use of “national security” as a ground for secrecy. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Oct. 2 passed a Resolution on National Security and Access to Information. A person “who […]
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30 September 2013
Japan Secrets Proposal Criticized as Too Sweeping
The Japanese government may modify a proposal to protect state secrets, according to media reports, but the changes appear unlikely to mollify criticis who say the bill goes too far. The Prime Minister Shinzo Abe administration plans to insert language in the bill to guarantee freedom of the press and people’s right to know, according to a Japan Times […]
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22 February 2013
National Security Principles Project Nearing Completion
The Open Society Justice Initiative is seeking comment on the latest draft of its major effort to craft “Principles on National Security and Right to Information.” The goal is to complete the project in early April. Sandra Coliver, Senior Legal Officer, Freedom of Information & Expression, OSJI, presented an overview of the project in testimony to […]