JCP issues appeal calling for national struggle to foil contingency bills

The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee on March 11 published an appeal titled, "Let us rise in actions to foil unconstitutional contingency bills providing steps to support U.S. wars".

Explaining the appeal at a press conference in the Diet, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo said that the seven contingency bills which the government submitted to the current Diet session on March 9 were designed to "systematically mobilize the Self-Defense Forces and the public for U.S.-wars."

"If the bills are enacted, the government will be allowed to take unlimited steps in support of U.S. wars, mobilize local self-governments and related facilities by giving military priority, and mobilize the public with penalties for disobedience. These measures will seriously infringe on the Constitution," Shii warned.

Shii explained that the government attempt is to invoke the bills in conjunction with the 1999 Law on "situations in areas surrounding Japan" that enables Japan to get more systematically involved in U.S. wars.

"If these bills are enacted in conformity with the U.S. preemptive strike strategy, it will allow the SDF to take active part in U.S. wars, and force the public to cooperate in such wars. Japan will be seen as defying the rule for world peace," Shii stressed.

The JCP chair stressed the need to develop a national struggle, saying, "The JCP will join hands with as many organizations and individuals as possible based on common demands for the contingency bills to be blocked and the dispatching of the SDF to Iraq withdrawn."

Concerning the basic bill to deal with contingencies which the Democratic Party recently began negotiating with the Liberal Democratic Party, Shii said, "The bill is intentionally mixing three distinct areas into a single category of 'emergencies': 'situations when armed attacks are made on Japan', a major terrorist attack, and a grave natural disaster. How can we allow such a way of violating basic human rights?"

Recalling the DPJ-LDP deal that helped in railroading the three contingency bills through the Diet last year, Shii said, "If the Democratic Party again joins hands with the LDP in order to bulldoze the contingency bills through the Diet, it must be blamed for again undermining constitutional principles."

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The following is the gist of an appeal the Japanese Communist Party published on March 11 under the title "Let's rise in nationwide action to block contingency bills providing specific ways of supporting U.S. wars."

The wartime legislation was enacted last year in order to enable the government to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to use force with the U.S. anywhere in the world and to force Japanese citizens to cooperate in such wars.

The proposed contingency-related laws show that the legislation is intended to establish a structure to support U.S. wars rather than to get the nation prepared for possible armed attacks.

The enactment of such laws will pave the way for Japan to join with the U.S. to infringe the war-renouncing Article 9 and defy world peace.

These laws have nothing to do with the "defense of Japan," "protection of Japan's peace and security" or other justifiable reasons. They are aimed at establishing a framework to mobilize the SDF and the whole nation in U.S. preemptive wars.

The JCP severely criticizes the proposed laws that will violate the Constitution as well as the U.N. Charter, and will do its utmost to block them and abolish the wartime legislation and the law to deal with situations in areas surrounding Japan. (end)