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The Japanese cabinet on Friday approved a bill intended to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secret and therefore threaten national security, according to local media.
The bill was designed to protect confidential information that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said is "a prerequisite" for Japan to win trust of and share intelligence with other countries, reported Japan's Kyodo News.
The legislation stipulates information concerning foreign and defense policies that will damage national security if leaked should be labeled "special secrets," adding those who leak such category of secrets will be imposed a prison term of 10 years.
"Special-secrets" level information covers the number and capability of weapons, ammunition and aircraft, as well as defense codes and details of negotiations with foreign governments, according to the bill.
It says that sensitive intelligence, if classified as "special secrets," will remain so for five years and the duration can be extended for up to 30 years and cabinet approval is necessary when expand duration of those 30-year-old secrets.
At the request of the New Komeito Party, a small ruling partner of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the bill also includes provisions to give consideration to citizens' right to know and freedom of the press.
The Japanese government hopes to pass the bill during the current extraordinary Diet session through Dec. 6.
The bill has triggered domestic criticism that it will lead to tighter government control of information, said local reports.
