TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday defended as “necessary” an unpopular secrets law that he rushed through parliament, as a new poll showed his support rating had plunged 10 percent in a month.
The conservative hawk admitted he could have better explained the new law, but insisted that it was a vital step to protect Japan and bring it into line with its allies.
“Unless our country establishes rules to manage confidential information, we cannot obtain such information from other countries,” he said. “In order to protect people’s lives and property, it was necessary to pass the special secrecy law as quickly as possible.” afp
