This is the translated version of the Japanese edition (No.176 dated October 8th, 2013). It is published by Katsuyuki Nara and Sarah Brock of the New English Teachers Association (or Shin-Eiken) (). The translations are on our own．
Updated October 23rd, 2013 English version No.110
Block Japan becoming a war-making country : A9A grassroots campaign
A9A held the press conference on October 7th, in which 5 of the founding members presented their unified appeal: The true voice of the people against Using the Right to Self-Protection Clause to Create a War-making Country,and to officially announce the program outline for the 5thconference and forum to be held on November 16 2013. Founder Oe Kenzaburo (Tokyo) Okudaira Yasuhiro, Sawachi Hisae attended, and gave general comments to the press.
Oe Kenzaburo
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Prime Minister Abe states that he has a ‘historical mandate’ to revise the Constitution, but this is only his own conviction, an effort to realize the dream of his late grandfather and former Prime Minister KishiNobusuke, who during his term of office made a dedicated effort to change the Constitution and afterwards through his organization until his death. Mr. Abe’s desire is personal, and it is not the desire of the people.
At the present time, Japan is faced with the dangerous crisis of following America and reinterpretthe right to collective self-defense, to mean that Japan has the right to make war.
I have lived through the era alongside this Constitution and have kept as one of my reasons for living the road of protecting Article 9. I will not stand by to watch Article 9 be trivialized and destroyed. This resolution is shared by people in the Association all over the country, but now as individuals it is very important to raise our voices.
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Okudaira Yasuhiro
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The current situation with the government has bizarre and unusual tendencies. The Abe Government is attempting to “dismantle the last vestiges of the postwar regime”, while movements have arisen with Article 9 as their banner, wishing to preserve a country that does not wage war. These groups contribute also to movements to block amendment to Article 96 which regulates procedures for Constitutional amendments.
Anticipating a substantial Constitutional revision the government seeks to change the interpretation of the right to self-defense to make the waging of war possible. To facilitate this the government seeks to enact a bill for protecting military secrets in the forthcomingDiet session. The government has been told by the U.S. government that they can’t defend Japanese secrets without the law.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito party enjoy majority seats in the Diet, and are ready to pass any bills that they consider favorable to their sides. We should make our utmost efforts to block such dangerous moves at any cost.
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Sawachi Hisae
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We have now lost four of the founding members of the Association, but when we think of the legacy they have left, it inspires us to continue with this important work.
Never have I seen the ages in which Article 9 has been so trivialized. Osprey aircraft have been deployed, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces have been given special units resembling the U.S. Marines, and the Japanese government even finances transferring the marines to Guam.
Prime Minister Abe is proud that the LDP has achieved a landslide victory in the latest election and the majority parties are convinced that they have a mandate to do as they please. But the voting turnout was a bit over 50 %. The parties in the ruling coalition cannot claim that they have won the majority support of the people. They are treating Constitutional amendment as a done thing. This trend must be absolutely opposed.
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A9A Appeal
Oppose the movement to make Japan into ‘A country that can Wage War’ through reinterpretation of the right to Collective Self-Defense!
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The Japanese Constitution is presently facing a great time of trial. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe states that he has a “historical mandate to change the Constitution”, has a strong desire to change the text and meaning of the Constitution, and seeks to reinterpret what previous governments have consistently condemned, the idea that the Right to Collective Self Defense means a right to make war. The aim is to transform Japan in one moment from a country of Peace to “a country that can wage war”.
Japan has not been attacked with the weapons of war, but has supported America in its wars in foreign countries, with the right to collective self-defense limiting activities to the lowest possible level. This has been the government’s stance until now, but the current government seeks a substantial re-interpretation of the right to collective self-defense, deviating from the original intent of the Constitution. This is not intended for Japan or American self-defense, in fact it has a greater meaning of making the alliance of Japan and America into a sort of public agency which can become active all over the world, all areas and all countries, in order to protect stability and prosperity. The Self Defense Ministry Interim Report on the Presence of Military Self-Defense Capability makes it apparent that it is building up a stance which includes the capability of invading foreign sovereign states if necessary.
This plan, if it were carried forward at all, can only be made legal through putting the matter to a vote and gaining a two-thirds majority in the Diet, followed by a national vote gaining a simple majority of the popular vote. However the present government intends to avoid these constitutionally mandated procedures and instead, bring it about using a series of cabinet decisions. In order to carry out this plan, the Director General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, which has for many years supported the interpretation by previous governments that sending military forces overseas is unconstitutional, has been replaced.Deputy Prime Minister Aso has said in a statement confirmed by his office that “Germany’s Weimar Constitution was changed before anyone noticed. It was changed before anyone was aware. Why don’t we learn from that technique?” These moves and these statements confirm to us that the government has the intent to destroy Constitutionalism.
This is not all. The Abe Cabinet in order to bring the Japan Self Defense Forces to a higher military standard, tries to remove all limitations on using arms or force in foreign conflicts, and the National Defense Program Outline revision, with its “Marine Capability” and “Enemy base attack capability,” uses expressions that show a much higher level of aggression than before.
They are taking the first concrete steps towards making Japan into a war-making country. In all aspects of government, through Self Defense, and Foreign Policy, in all ways possible, the Abe cabinet attempts to hide or obscure information, hiding its policy and moves from the citizens of Japan. Greater authority will be given to the office of the prime minister, with the Special Military Secrets Protection Act and the act to create a Japanese version of the National Security Council. The acts which will make these possible are to be presented at the special Diet session in October 2013. The LDP-prepared Fundamental Bill for National Security is intended to put priority on concepts of security in every field, not only politics: education, technology, transportation, and communication. If these acts are actually implemented, they will end up embodying most contents of LDP’s draft to revise Constitution, including Article 9.
The government is also deeply involved with avoiding responsibility for the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, abandoning its citizens, exporting nuclear technology, and many other acts.
Before the Pacific War, the people of Japan were robbed of every mechanism for protest or resistance, and instead we had the bitter experience of being dragged into the swampy bog of a war of aggressive expansion. However, now the citizens of Japan are empowered as never before, and have the ultimate right to determine how their country is run. We also have a weapon on our side: Article 9, the Peace Constitution, which we can show to the world with pride, the one thing we gained from our war of expansion. Now is the time to protect the Constitution of Japan, and we promise to band together, hand in hand, and surround the Abe Government that turns its back on history and its lessons, and rope them in with argument developed in the grass-roots campaign, and stand up to this government intent on racing wildly to its doom.
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October 7th, 2013
Article 9 Association (Kyu-jo no Kai)
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A9A Announcement
Outline of the November 16thmeeting
- Name: A9A 5th National Exchange Meeting and Discussion Meeting
- Date : November 16th (Sunday) 10:30 ~ 16:30
- Venue : Nihon-KyoikuKaikan in Tokyo
- Contents :
●Plenary session :
* Addresses by A9A founders
* Speeches by some local groups
* Symposium :
Theme:
“Acknowledgment of a right to collective self-defense and the Constitution”
Speakers:1. Yanagisawa Kyoji (deputy-chair of International Geopolitics Institute, former assistant deputy chief Cabinet secretary
2. Urata Ichiro (Meiji University professor)
● Special interest group sessions
5. Participants: representatives of local and occupational A9A groups
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October 6th meeting filled with feverish excitement
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A secretariat-hosted study meeting “Rein in rogue creation of war-ready Japan!” was given on October 6th. It was attended by 230 people, being filled with feverish excitement. At the meeting MaedomariHiromori(Professor, Okinawa International University) spoke under the title of “Japan -U.S.Security Treaty and Constitution from Okinawans’ perspective.”Next, Watanabe Osamu (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University) spoke on “Face Abe’s strategy of Constitutional revision.” After the speakers’ sessions, many participants asked the two speakers many questions.
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END
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