peace

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Kakushinkon holds general meeting marking 25th anniversary

The National Association for a Peaceful, Democratic and Progressive Japan (Kakushkon) held its the annual general meeting in Tokyo on June 17, marking its 25th anniversary. Representing Kakushinkon organizations from around the country, 260 people who are leading the struggles to oppose the adverse revision of the Constitution and to protect the living standards of people took part in the meeting.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo gave a talk entitled, "Present stage of the Japan-U.S. military alliance increasing its aggressive nature."

Shii elucidated the pioneering role of the Kakushinkon movement in light of its 25 years of political development, focusing on the remarkable growth of the Kakushinkon as well as the "Socialist-Komei agreement" that triggered the Kakushinkon movement.

The number of grassroots Kakushinkon organizations has doubled in 10 years to 749 nationwide, significantly expanding the dialogue and cooperation of many public figures and intellectuals.

The "Socialist-Komei agreement" was when the then Socialist Party of Japan and Komei Party in 1980 agreed on a coalition government plan which excluded the JCP and supported the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Self-Defense Forces. This agreement opened a path for the two parties to establish coalition governments with the Liberal Democratic Party.

Shii emphasized, "All this shows that the Socialist-Komei agreement had no future from the beginning. The 25 years of the Kakushinkon movement has proved the correctness of its direction."

Shii said that Kakushinkon has always combined "two tasks": one is to promote cooperation from the grassroots level in order to realize various demands of people, and the other is to seek agreement of the majority of the public on the three common objectives of the remaking of Japan, combining with the struggles to realize demands. The three common objectives are to change the economy to work in the interests of people; to make full use of the Constitution and strengthen freedom, human rights and democracy; and to abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

Shii stressed that abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and realization of a nuclear-free, non-aligned and neutral Japan is the key to achieving the three common objectives and the focal point of confrontation in exploring the path for Japan in the 21 century.

In the general meeting, Kakushinkon Representative Kobayashi Yoji stated, "Based on its 25 year history, developing the Kakushinkon movement from the grassroots level is the best way to open up the path toward a hopeful Japan."

The meeting adopted an action program which points out that the establishment of a two party system, which the LDP and the Democratic Party of Japan are seeking, will inevitably increase the contradictions with the public because these two parties share the same aims of adhering to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, adversely revising the war renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, and increasing the consumption tax rate. The program calls for increasing the public opinion in favor of the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and for greatly developing cooperation to defend the Constitution.
- Akahata, June 18, 2006