The reason why the nominator of the popular word nominee “Rice Theory” decided to go to court with the Communist Party.

‘Lacks a sense of human rights’

Both Chairperson Tomoko Tamura (59) and Secretary General Akira Koike (64) initially said, ‘It is necessary to comply with labor laws and regulations.’ However, when questioned by the media, they began to say that the full-time employment was a “voluntary activity” and “not a labor-management relationship,” that “compliance with labor laws” was only voluntary, and that they “thought labor laws and regulations did not apply to them.

This is the very essence of the “rice noodle theory,” in which the company tries to deceive the public by making a sound defense while actually preparing an evasive answer. I was astonished that he would make such malicious evasions, just like the former Abe administration.

Takayuki Kamiya, 54, a former member of the Communist Party, manga critic, and the creator of the “rice argument,” which was nominated for the 2006 Ryukugo Award, lamented. Kamiya graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Law and has worked as a Communist Party official for nearly 30 years.

The genesis of Kamiya’s decision to sue the Communist Party goes back about two years. In February 2011, Kamiya argued on his blog that the party should review its punishment of journalist Nobuyuki Matsutake, 70, who was expelled from the party in February 2011 for calling for a public election of party leaders. His actions were charged with violating the party’s constitution.

Kamiya claims that he was repeatedly pressured to “deeply self-criticize” and “delete his blog,” and that he was subjected to power harassment, including being questioned in large groups of “five to one” and “eleven to one. After rejecting the party’s demands, Kamiya was expelled and dismissed last August. Aggrieved by this punishment, Mr. Kamiya filed a lawsuit against the Communist Party on November 12, 2012, seeking confirmation of his position and damages of approximately 9.83 million yen for the power harassment.

Mr. Kamiya is outraged.

In the first place, I did not act in violation of the code,” he said. The process leading up to my expulsion and dismissal was also unlawful. I felt that this process was unfair and that the party should be held accountable, so I decided to file the lawsuit.

At the Fukuoka Prefectural Party Committee, to which Mr. Kamiya belonged, party members staged a protest against the committee, demanding the withdrawal of his expulsion. At the root of the situation is the party’s lack of a sense of human rights,” Kamiya continued.

Just like in a company organization, there are many party members who quit because of the difficulties they experience in their personal relationships. Last summer, young party members in Fukuoka Last summer, young party members in Fukuoka demanded that the committee pay them overtime, and the Labor Standards Inspection Office investigated, but the committee brushed it off, saying, ‘There is no such thing as overtime work.

In the Diet and local assemblies, the Communist Party has a history of very sharp and pioneering pursuit of labor issues. But when it comes to their own affairs, they do the exact opposite. This is not limited to labor issues. In the end, we have become an organization that overly pays attention to the party center and its superiors.”

The Need for “Reform

In an instant, the relationship of trust with the party he had been a member of for 30 years collapsed. The response of those around him also changed drastically,” Kamiya continued.

In order to dispose of the party members, it would normally be necessary to adopt a resolution at the branch office or prefectural committee. However, they expelled me at the will of a very few people. Suddenly, I am no longer associated as a human being with the friends I have worked with and helped each other until yesterday. There was no personal will there, and I felt truly horrible. I felt as if my human rights were being violated in the preliminary stages of my dismissal.”

Raising the issue led to expulsion and power harassment. Still, Kamiya says he wants to return to the party. There are two reasons.

There are a lot of party members in the community,” he said, “and it’s like a temple to run to. The Communist Party has a lifeline role, and I think it is highly necessary. In addition, it disseminates socially significant news, as represented by the “Shimbun Aka Hata” (newspaper red flag), and plays a role in monitoring power. These two initiatives are spreading throughout Japan, and moreover, they are stocked. This is valuable.

Just like renovating an old house, the Communist Party can still shine if it gets some work done. This is a trick that a new party cannot do. I want to rebuild the Communist Party and work again. That is my wish.

Mr. Kamiya also made this appeal.

Even though so many party members have left, no one is urging the executives to reflect on their actions or advising them to change their minds. This is because such speech is silenced. We need a reform that fundamentally changes the organization. Not a few party members feel this way inwardly.”

Kamiya continued, “We are planning to hold a large-scale rally before the Upper House election, attended by former and current party members who have been expelled or excluded from the party, to challenge the state of the Communist Party. He also appealed that the Communist Party must change in line with the times.

In the lawsuits filed by Mr. Matsutake and Mr. Kamiya, not even the admission or denial of the facts of the lawsuits has progressed, citing the “party’s constitution” as a shield. Will the day ever come when the voices of party members will be heard by the party?