August 15, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on August 15, the day commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Japan, released the following statement.

On the 75th anniversary since the end of World War II, the Japanese Communist Party offers its deepest condolences to all people at home and abroad who were victimized by the war of aggression and colonial rule under Japanese militarism.

This year’s annual war memorial day takes place amid the raging coronavirus pandemic. In defiance of public demand for cutting military spending and increasing the budget for corona-related measures, the Abe government has summited a record-high military budget this year and clings firm to changing Article 9 of the Constitution. The JCP will work hard to protect people’s health and livelihoods during the ongoing corona crisis. In addition, defending the pacifist Article 9, the party will make the utmost effort to create a peaceful Japan which will make the best use of this article in the Constitution.

This year marks the 60th anniversary since the current Japan-U.S. Security Treaty came into force. This coming September will mark five years since the forcible enactment of the national security legislation (aka. war laws). Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister Abe-led government intends to strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance, promote a huge military buildup, and push forward with the construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa. Furthermore, it keeps attempting to revise Article 9 with the aim of turning Japan into a nation capable of exercising the collective self-defense right and using military force overseas. In order to hamper PM Abe’s constitutional revision attempt, abolish the national security legislation, and put a stop to any move to create a war-capable nation, the JCP calls on all peace-seeking people to team up with each other.

The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party recently began discussions regarding Japan’s capability to attack enemy bases. This is an outrageous attempt made by taking undue advantage of the fact that, pushed by public opinion and movements, the Abe administration gave up its planned deployment of the ground-based missile defense system “Aegis Ashore” to Japan. Attacking enemy bases is effectively a preemptive strike which is in violation of international law. Such an attempt is unacceptable as it completely tramples on the conventional view that the postwar Constitution does not allow the possession of offensive weapons because such armaments go beyond the definition of minimum-necessary equipment for self-defense. It is obvious that the possession of the enemy base attack capability will create a vicious cycle of arms races and will fuel tensions in Northeast Asia. The JCP will make all-out efforts to thwart the outrageous attempt and create a peaceful Japan and Northeast Asia through diplomacy that makes full use of Article 9.

The nuclear weapons ban treaty, which was adopted at the United Nations in 2017, has so far been signed by 82 countries and ratified by 44 despite obstructions by the United States and other nuclear weapons states. Now is the time to further strengthen global public opinion in order to increase the number of ratifications to 50, the necessary number for the treaty to enter into force.

A recent opinion poll published in August by the Kyodo News groups’ research center showed that the percentage of Japanese who think that Japan should join the UN antinuke treaty reached 72%. Nevertheless, the Abe government, which takes no heed of Japan’s unique status as the only A-bombed country, keeps turning its back on the earnest desire of Hibakusha and the general public under the pretext of the need for nuclear deterrence. In order to replace the Abe government with one that is willing to join the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty as demanded by Hibakusha and the overwhelming majority of the general public, the JCP appeals for the need to further develop joint struggles between concerned citizens and other opposition parties.

Past related articles:
> Shii in Nagasaki expresses his determination to create a gov’t willing to join antinuke UN treaty [ August 10, 2020]
> Gov’t gives up on deployment of Aegis Ashore to Japan [June 26, 2020]
> JCP Koike criticizes PM Abe for wanting to have capability to attack enemy bases [ June 23, 2020]