NGO Joint Statement Against the Security Bills

The following NGOs express our strong concern and opposition to the currently proposed Security Bills in Japan. 

1. Through its colonial rule and aggressive wars in the Asia Pacific region, Japan caused greatloss 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  putan 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.  Thesecurity  bills  currently  debatedin  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,  itwould 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. 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.

5. 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 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 

Anti War Peace Solidarity, April Revolution Society, Catholic Human Rights Committee, Center for Peacemuseum, CHUN TAE-IL Memorial Society, Citizens’ Coalition for Democratim Media, Citizen’s Coalition for Economic Justice KOREA REUNFICATION SOCIETY(CCEJ), Civil Peace Forum, Civilian Military Watch, Eco Horizon Institute, Friends of Asia, Imagination For International Solidarity, Institute for Law and Human Rights in Society, Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, Korea Women Workers Association, Korea Women’s Hotline, Korean Women’s Association United, Korean Women’s Environmental Network, Life Peace Solidarity, Movement for One Korea, National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S. troops in Korea, Peace Education Project MOMO​, Peace Network, Peace Nomad, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD), People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, Professors for Democracy(PD), Pyeongtaek PEACE CENTER, SARANGBANG group for Human Rights, Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea(SPARK), Sustainable Society Institute, The April 9 Unification & Peace Foundation, Ulsan Solidarity for Human Rights, Won-Buddhism Human Rights Committee