January 20, 2010
The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was concluded after the war and was revised 50 years ago. The signing of the revised treaty took place on January 19, 1960.
It has been asserted that Japan and the United States have “equal treaty rights.” This is an outright lie. The fact is that the present Japan-U.S. Security Treaty has bound Japan to be a subordinate ally of the United States. This is clear from the status of U.S. military bases in Okinawa.
It is absurd for Japan to agree to work jointly with the U.S. to further deepen the Japan-U.S. security arrangements and allow the stationing of foreign military forces on its soil into the 21st century while forcing the public to suffer the consequences. We should call for a nationwide discussion on ending Japan’s subservience to the United States and on whether we need to maintain the treaty or not.
‘Equal rights” are incompatible with submission
The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty gives a legal basis for the U.S. to keep its military bases in Japan, including in the capital of Tokyo. These U.S. bases the source of incessant sonic booms causing severe noise pollution. They are also the cause of continuous crimes committed by U.S. military personnel.
Japan hosts the stationing of the U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Force in Okinawa and Iwakuni, the U.S. aircraft carrier strike force at Yokosuka, and the expeditionary aerospace force at the U.S. Misawa Air Force Base. These forces’ presence in Japan has nothing to do with the defense of Japan. They are “forward strike forces” for interventionist wars.
The U.S. forces in Japan have various privileges under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Japan is more generous than any other “host nation” in sharing the burdens of a U.S. military presence.
The U.S. military realignment scheme is furthering the military integration between Japan and the United States.
Japan’s economy is structurally subordinate to the United States.
Japan-U.S. secret agreements allow U.S. warships and planes carrying nuclear weapons to enter Japanese ports and pass through Japanese territorial waters.
This is due to the military alliance, which is unequal and is given the role of carrying out interventionist wars.
To begin with, the Japan-U.S. military alliance is incompatible with the Constitution’s renunciation of war and its guarantee of rights to live in peace.
Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio says he aims to make Japan-U.S. relations equal. U.S. President Barack Obama also says Japan and the United States have equal rights under the bilateral alliance. If they are true to their word, they must act to end the unequal relationship.
Especially, the illegal use of land by U.S. forces and the allowance of night-landing practices (touch and go training exercises) by aircraft carrier-borne planes in heavily populated areas, and low-altitude flight training throughout the country must be banned immediately. It is only natural that the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, which is making Okinawans suffer a lot, should be closed down immediately.
The extraordinary features of the Japan-U.S. military alliance should be eliminated immediately even before the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is abrogated. In the course of the struggle to end the abnormal situation, we should raise the basic question whether the security treaty is necessary or not.
Many of the world’s military alliances have been dissolved during the past half a century. Some became dysfunctional. Others have become debilitated. Only four U.S.-led military alliances exist today in the world. In the world current moving toward establishing regional communities for peace, the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. military alliance treaty is the first step to meet the people’s wish for peace.
Extend peace to East Asia
On the occasion of observing the 50th anniversary of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the Japanese and U.S. government published a joint statement pledging to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. But reality shows that the Japan-U.S. military alliance is a dangerous source of military tensions rising in the world as well as in Asia. It is incompatible with attempts to foster peace in Asia.
In Asia, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) prohibits the use of force and calls for peaceful resolution of international disputes. This represents the increasing current moving toward peace. While calling for efforts to strengthen peace initiatives through diplomacy, we will work to build a national consensus on the need to abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
- Akahata, January 20, 2010
It is absurd for Japan to agree to work jointly with the U.S. to further deepen the Japan-U.S. security arrangements and allow the stationing of foreign military forces on its soil into the 21st century while forcing the public to suffer the consequences. We should call for a nationwide discussion on ending Japan’s subservience to the United States and on whether we need to maintain the treaty or not.
‘Equal rights” are incompatible with submission
The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty gives a legal basis for the U.S. to keep its military bases in Japan, including in the capital of Tokyo. These U.S. bases the source of incessant sonic booms causing severe noise pollution. They are also the cause of continuous crimes committed by U.S. military personnel.
Japan hosts the stationing of the U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Force in Okinawa and Iwakuni, the U.S. aircraft carrier strike force at Yokosuka, and the expeditionary aerospace force at the U.S. Misawa Air Force Base. These forces’ presence in Japan has nothing to do with the defense of Japan. They are “forward strike forces” for interventionist wars.
The U.S. forces in Japan have various privileges under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Japan is more generous than any other “host nation” in sharing the burdens of a U.S. military presence.
The U.S. military realignment scheme is furthering the military integration between Japan and the United States.
Japan’s economy is structurally subordinate to the United States.
Japan-U.S. secret agreements allow U.S. warships and planes carrying nuclear weapons to enter Japanese ports and pass through Japanese territorial waters.
This is due to the military alliance, which is unequal and is given the role of carrying out interventionist wars.
To begin with, the Japan-U.S. military alliance is incompatible with the Constitution’s renunciation of war and its guarantee of rights to live in peace.
Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio says he aims to make Japan-U.S. relations equal. U.S. President Barack Obama also says Japan and the United States have equal rights under the bilateral alliance. If they are true to their word, they must act to end the unequal relationship.
Especially, the illegal use of land by U.S. forces and the allowance of night-landing practices (touch and go training exercises) by aircraft carrier-borne planes in heavily populated areas, and low-altitude flight training throughout the country must be banned immediately. It is only natural that the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, which is making Okinawans suffer a lot, should be closed down immediately.
The extraordinary features of the Japan-U.S. military alliance should be eliminated immediately even before the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is abrogated. In the course of the struggle to end the abnormal situation, we should raise the basic question whether the security treaty is necessary or not.
Many of the world’s military alliances have been dissolved during the past half a century. Some became dysfunctional. Others have become debilitated. Only four U.S.-led military alliances exist today in the world. In the world current moving toward establishing regional communities for peace, the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. military alliance treaty is the first step to meet the people’s wish for peace.
Extend peace to East Asia
On the occasion of observing the 50th anniversary of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the Japanese and U.S. government published a joint statement pledging to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. But reality shows that the Japan-U.S. military alliance is a dangerous source of military tensions rising in the world as well as in Asia. It is incompatible with attempts to foster peace in Asia.
In Asia, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) prohibits the use of force and calls for peaceful resolution of international disputes. This represents the increasing current moving toward peace. While calling for efforts to strengthen peace initiatives through diplomacy, we will work to build a national consensus on the need to abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
- Akahata, January 20, 2010
