In Japan last month, several refrigerators containing COVID-19 vaccine were sabotaged. The plugs were pulled out of the wall, destroying over 2000 doses of temperature-sensitive vaccine. In six prefectures, including Osaka, Hyogo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shimane, and Saitama, and across eight municipalities, refrigerators were unplugged, including those that had reinforced wall connections to prevent such an accident. Jake Adelstein and Chihiro Kai of the Daily Beast reported on this in detail just a few days ago. The timing of the sabotage could be even more important now, because it’s extremely likely that those responsible for pulling the plug may have inadvertently gone from having committed destruction of property to now contributing to the deaths of Japanese who won’t be able to get vaccinated. Because this just happened:

Thousands of first and second doses were cancelled across multiple prefectures and cities, with no date set for when vaccinations can start again. All other details aside, those refrigerator saboteurs succeeded in becoming refrigerator terrorists. Nearly everyone in line for vaccination is Japanese.

There are various figures, some optimistic, some pessimistic, but with what appears to be only 7% of the Japanese population fully inoculated, cancellation of vaccinations at this time means infections will continue, and deaths will continue to climb. And when one considers that the Japanese government just lifted the “state of emergency” country wide, that COVID-19 infected olympic athletes and their staff continue to pour into Japan with little to no COVID-19 controls in place, and all at a time a fifth wave appears to be swelling in Tokyo, it’s a formula for failure no one wants to do the math on.

I think it’s important that everyone look at the refrigerator sabotage for what it is. An attack on human rights that will result in the deaths of one or more people. And anyone promoting refrigerator sabotage aren’t just complicit in murder, they are telling people who to murder, directing the murder and cheering them on, publicly.

The refrigerator terrorists are also violating basic human rights. In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly, of which Japan is a member today, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. Article 3 of the UDHR could not be more clear: “Everyone has the right to life…”

On December 10, 2003, H.E. Mr. Toshiro Ozawa, Japan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said:

Mr. President,

….The fact is, fundamental human rights are not acquired as a matter of course, but promoted only through determined and tireless efforts by individuals….

….The Government of Japan firmly believes that human rights are universal values, and thus, must be promoted and protected in every part of the world. Accordingly, while each state has the primary responsibility for guaranteeing the human rights of its people, the human rights situation in any individual state should be a legitimate concern of the international community as a whole.

In our attempts to address actual human rights issues in certain states, we believe that it is necessary for us to promote mutual understanding, taking into account the specific situations of each state. With this conviction, Japan has placed great importance on dialogue and cooperation as a means of improving human rights situations in an effective and practical way.

Japan committed to protecting human rights, and that’s why this situation has become much worse than merely sabotage of property. Those committing the crimes and those inciting the crimes are now violating basic human rights.

These refrigerator terrorists, despite their assertions, are not protecting Japanese. They are taking away from their fellow citizens and from anyone else residing in Japan their right to life, by sabotaging their one, time-sensitive opportunity to gain maximum protection from COVID-19 when it is most critical. This is not an argument about whether or not to vaccinate. Everyone has the freedom to choose whether or not to vaccinate. This is about deliberately sabotaging someone else’s ability to vaccinate their own body, resulting in sickness or even death of the person(s) impacted. The anti-vaxxer and right-wing political candidate Masayuki Hiratsuka has campaigned on an anti-mask and COVID-denying platform up until now, and he has the right to do so. But the moment he wrote “Thanks! #pulltheplug,” in response to the loss of 158 vaccine doses due to an unplugged refrigerator unit in Oda city, he essentially loaded and handed out a weapon to his followers.

Last month, a COVID-19 denier and pharmacist in the United States was sentenced to three years in prison for deliberately tampering with about 500 doses of vaccine a few months earlier. Back in Japan, the still “investigating” the numerous cases of sabotage of entire refrigeration systems

Article 233 of Japan’s criminal code forbids the fraudulent obstruction of business, and carries both a monetary penalty and up to three years in prison. But what penalty does violating Japanese citizens’ human rights have? While the police ponder the former, I wonder how much more seriously the Japanese government will take this matter. And in a country where 連帯責任, collective responsibility, is deeply ingrained to protect harmony in Japanese society, Masayuki Hiratsuka may be the first person held responsible for violating both Japanese and international laws and conventions.

Japanese cherish their individual freedoms, and they equally cherish social responsibility. Unfortunately, there’s a new burden on our prefectures and cities to now protect themselves in order to protect us.

If you liked this post, please share it by clicking here: Twitter and Facebook and on LinkedIn.