November 2, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 1, it was learned that the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has decided not to disclose any documents detailing communications with the U.S. military from 2013 onward regarding the registration of Amami/Ryukyu as a world natural heritage site. The Amami/Ryukyu area that would be registered includes Yambaru National Park, which is adjacent to the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area. In response to an inquiry about the reason for its decision, the MOE listed concerns that disclosure of the documents would damage Japan’s relationship of trust with the United States, and explained that the documents themselves had been prepared on the condition of confidentiality with the U.S. military. The MOE has also not revealed a list specifying the undisclosed documents, nor the number of such documents that exist.
A request for disclosure of the documents was made by Masami Kawamura, representative of the Informed-Public Project (IPP), an investigative organization. IPP points to lack of accountability on the part of the government toward stakeholders (local residents) in its refusal to disclose the documents. The organization plans to request an examination of the Minister of the Environment on the basis of the Administrative Appeal Act.
In response to an inquiry, on November 1, a representative the MOE acknowledged the existence of the documents and stated, “In consideration of the impact on diplomacy and defense, we will not make any disclosure of the documents, including the names thereof.” The representative said that the decision not to disclose the documents was made by the ministry and explained, “The documents for which disclosure was requested were prepared on the condition that they would not be disclosed.”
IPP’s Kawamura criticized the MOE’s decision, saying, “From the perspective of information disclosure, specifying the existence of the documents while concealing the crucial details is problematic.”
Okinawa International University President Eiken Maetsu, who is well-versed in information disclosure law, pointed out, “The Ministry of the Environment has the duty to at least explain in what way disclosure of the documents would impact the relationship of trust with the U.S. military. Either the Ministry of the Environment is overreacting to the request for disclosure, or the documents contain significant matters that would cause considerable problems if they became known.”
(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)
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Ministry of Environment says disclosure of Yambaru world heritage documents would damage relationship of trust with US military
November 2, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo環境省、文書不開示 やんばるの世界遺産関連 「米軍の信頼損なう」
琉球新報 2016年11月2日 11:12
米軍北部訓練場に隣接するやんばる国立公園を含む「奄美・琉球」の世界自然遺産登録を巡り、環境省は２０１３年以降に米軍とやりとりした文書は「一切不開示」とすることを決定していたことが１日、分かった。環境省は決定理由について取材に対し「米国との信頼関係を損なう恐れ」を挙げ、文書そのものが「米軍との間で非公開とすることを前提に作成しているため」と説明した。環境省は、存在を特定した不開示文書名のリストや件数も明らかにしなかった。
文書は、調査団体「インフォームド・パブリック・プロジェクト（ＩＰＰ）」の河村雅美代表が開示請求した。不開示の結果を受け同団体は、政府のステークホルダー（住民）に対する説明責任の欠如を指摘。行政不服審査法に基づき、環境大臣に対して審査請求をする方針だ。
１日、環境省は取材に対し、文書の存在は認めた上で「外交・防衛への影響を考慮し、関連文書の名称含め開示は控えたい」とした。また、文書は環境省の判断で不開示としたとし「開示請求のあった資料は、非公開を前提として作成した」と説明した。
河村代表は「文書の存在を特定しながら、肝心な箇所を濁すのは情報公開の観点から問題」と環境省の消極的な姿勢を批判した。
情報公開法に精通する前津榮健沖縄国際大学学長は「少なくとも環境省は文書の開示がいかに米軍との信頼関係に影響を与えるのかを説明する義務がある」と指摘した。また「環境省は情報公開請求に対して過剰反応しているか、よっぽど知られては困るような重大事項を抱えている」可能性も示唆した。
英文へ→Ministry of Environment says disclosure of Yambaru world heritage documents would damage relationship of trust with US military
