1. Through its colonial rule and aggressive wars in the Asia Pacific region, Japan caused great loss of life and violations of human rights, and the wounds from this are yet to be healed. Following its defeat 70 years ago, and based on the deep regret for the extensive sacrifice brought upon by the Japan-instigated war, the country determined to put an end to militarism, and on the foundation of Article 9 of the Constitution, made a promise to the world to abandon war. This “pledge to not wage war” has meant that Japan has not participated in combat activities overseas over the past 70 years.
2. The security bills currently debated in Japan will allow the use of the right to collective self-defense, meaning Japan’s participation in wars between other countries and the use of force overseas in the case of an armed attack against the United States or other closely allied countries. As well as this, it would under the name of international cooperation for peace broadly allow logistic activities undertaken alongside the use of force, including transportation of ammunition in conflicts in other countries. The armed conflicts or military logistic activities in which Japan would participate under the proposed bills have no geographic limitations, and Asia, the Middle East and Africa would broadly be included in its range.
3. In Japan, many constitutional scholars have expressed their opinion that these bills go against Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, and the majority of citizens are against these bills. Yet, in July of this year the proposed bills were passed without sufficient debate in the House of Representatives, and they are now being discussed in the House of Councilors.
4. If these security bills become reality, the capacity of Japan to intervene in armed conflict in wide regions would bring upon unnecessary hostility and tensions with surrounding regions, and would clearly harm the peace and security of the Asia Pacific region. We by no means desire the 70 year long pledge of not waging war to be destroyed and abandoned, and for Japan to once again intervene in armed conflicts in other countries.
5. We are strongly opposed to the situation in which the people of the Asia Pacific region could once again be in the relationship of killing or being killed as a result of Japanese war actions, or that the region could once again experience the tragic disaster of war. We are also strongly against Japan’s participation in war leading to Japan contributing to bloodshed in regions of the Middle East, Africa and so on which suffer through the scourge of war.
6. We believe that it will not be possible to eradicate conflict from the world without resolving structural violence such as poverty, disparity, discrimination and oppression of human rights, which form a breeding ground for conflict or so-called terrorism. It is not possible to build a just order in the world without addressing such fundamental issues, and relying only on military force. In a world becoming more militarized and violent, Japan’s pacifism, albeit imperfect, has the potential to be an alternative for building international peace through “not resolving international conflicts through armed force.” The effort must be made for the whole international community to support this pacifism, and spread it further.
We hereby reiterate our opposition to the security bills currently being debated at the Japanese Diet, for their going against the hope of the global civil society.
Signed by (Japan-based NGOs):
Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) / Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service (JOCS) / Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines (JCBL) / AYUS International Buddhist Cooperation Network / NGO NESTEP / Shanti Volunteer Association / Nonviolent Peaceforce Japan / The Sloth Club / FoE Japan / Human Rights Now / YMCA Japan / Alternative People’s Linkage in Asia (APLA) / International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) / Japanese Committee for the Children of Palestine (JCCP) / Africa Japan Forum / Earth Tree / Mekong Watch / Japan Iraq Medical Network (JIM-NET) / Services for the Health in Asian & African Regions (SHARE) / Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) / Peace Boat
International supporting organizations also being sought:
please send your organization name to Meri Joyce at Peace Boat, meri@peaceboat.gr.jp
