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‘Very tight security during imperial visit’
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Posted on Jun 23 2005
Saipan will be swarming next week with U.S. Secret Service personnel, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, members of Japan’s national police, and local law enforcement officers for the Japanese imperial couple’s visit, raising the bar on the security that would be set in place for the visit, the government said.
Governor press secretary Peter A. Callaghan said the security setup during the imperial visit on June 27 and 28 would be extremely tight, a never-before-seen type of security protocol on the island.
“The security is going to be very, very tight, the likes of which we have never seen before in the CNMI. We would ask the public to be patient. Traffic would be inconvenient. There are several street closures throughout the day. Traffic has to be re-routed,” Callaghan said.
He said the imperial couple, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, would be going to 20 different sites on island.
Access to these places, he said, would be very limited. Not all interested individuals would be accommodated, while those who would be allowed to enter and witness any of the site visits would undergo a very strict screening process, he said.
“If they expect to see the emperor somewhere and they can’t get in, we ask for their understanding because each person that shows up to see the ceremony will undergo the security screening,” he said.
Callaghan discouraged people from bringing bags, chain, knives, signs, big sticks, and the like.
Callaghan said the extremely tight security process is required for any heads of state, and not necessarily due to fears of possible protests from certain groups.
The Korean Association in the CNMI, for instance, has began to display protest signs, demanding an apology from the imperial couple for Japanese aggression during World War II.
“This is what is required for the heads of state. The Secret Service is in charge with protecting the imperial couple. They are taking their job very seriously,” he said.
Besides, he said, the imperial’s visit to the island happens only once in a lifetime.
