14 February 2002


February 14, 2002

Protests against Echelon are growing also in Japan.

German left-wing Member of the Eurpoean Parliament Ilka Schroeder departed for a short trip to Japan today. She will stay there until next Sunday, meeting Members of the Japanese Parliament, lawyers and civil rights activists. Among the topics she will discuss with the MPs is the strategy that led to setting up the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Echelon. The Japanese MPs are interested in the prospects of such a committee to consider similar initiatives themselves.

See below for the complete program of the trip.

Date: February 15, 2002

The Diet meeting against ECHELON
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Place: Building of House of Councillor (Sangiin Giin Kaikan), Conference Room 1

Speech: Ilka Schroeder, Several Diet members

Question and answer session

Organizer: 12 Diet members involved in opposition parties.

Contact: Yukio Edano (Democratic Party), Yasuo Ogata (Japan Communist Party), Mizuho Fukushima (Social Democratic Party), Atsuo Nakamura (independent)

Several interviews from news media just after the Diet meeting.

Date: February 15, 2002

ECHELON meeting by Japan Federation of Bar Association

6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Place: Nichibenren Kaikan, Tokyo 17f room 1702

Speech: Ilka Schroeder

Question and answer session

Organizer: Japan Federtion of Bar Association

Date: February 16, 2002

ECHELON International Symposium

12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Place: Kyoubashi Plaza Kumin-kaikan, Tokyo, Japan

Keynote Speech: Ilka Schroeder (member of the temporary committee of ECHELON in EU Parliament, independent Member of the Confederal Group of the European United Left

Date: February 16, 2002, opening 6:10 p.m.

Regional meeting against ECHELON

Place: Kanagawa Kenmin Center (Yokohama, Kanagawa district)

Keynote Speech: Ilka Schroeder

Speech: Toshi Ogura

Organizer: People's group against wiretapping law