PRESS CONFERENCE
Yoshihisa Uchiyama & Tatsuo Suzuki,
"Hosei University vs. Radical Students"

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

It's not quite 1968 all over again, but an escalating battle between the authorities at Tokyo's prestigious Hosei University and a group of students has echoes of that era. To date, 107 students have been arrested and 24 indicted. Some are awaiting trial and have been in prison for more than 6 months. Their supporters say their arrests are a flagrant violation of their human rights and a sad indictment of the state of free expression on Japan's campuses.

The origins of the dispute go back three years, when Hosei began removing fliers and other material promoting a radical student group from campus notice boards. Lawyers for the students argue that the crackdown constitutes a breach of the time-honored right of students to politically organize on university grounds.

Last year, 38 students -- mostly members or supporters of a Marxist revolutionary group -- were arrested during campus protests on May 28 and 29. Activists say the university is cooperating with the Tokyo police in using prewar anti-labor union laws to crush all student activities. Another 11 students were arrested following a demonstration in April. A June 5 court hearing will decide whether charges are to be brought against these students.

Taking part will be Yoshihisa Uchiyama, a student expelled from the university in May 2006, and lawyer Tatsuo Suzuki.

Yoshihisa Uchiyama, Student expelled from the Hosei university

Tatsuo Suzuki, Lawyer