Japan Press Weekly

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2014 April 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

Let’s develop single-issue joint struggles into united front: Shii

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on April 17 at a gathering of the Association for a Peaceful, Democratic and Progressive Japan (Kakushinkon) said that broader single-issue joint struggles have opened up prospects for changing Japan’s political direction.

The gathering took place with 140 participants under the theme of how to promote the advance of single-issue struggles toward a united movement working for political change.

Shii referred to the spread of joint efforts with politically conservative people in struggles against the government moves to turn Japan into a war-fighting nation and join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework.

He said that even for conservatives, the Abe government’s ultra-rightist move and neo-liberalism policies are unacceptable, which offers an increased chance of building ties with more people who support conservative parties.

Regarding the development of unified efforts in labor movements, the JCP chair cited a rally organized by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations at the end of last year in protest against the government’s plan to deregulate labor legislation. The rally assembled union workers from major national trade union centers, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and other independent unions.

Giving Okinawa’s anti-base struggle as an example, Shii reported that people’s joint efforts involving local governments on the single issue of blocking Abe’s runaway policies have been increasing across Japan.

Shii mentioned that single-issue movements have entered a new phase. He said that some civil movement activists used to strongly oppose the JCP’s presence in their movements but such a tendency has become weaker and the party has been accepted into many independent people’s movements.

Shii said that as the Kakushinkon movement makes its own efforts under the “three common objectives” of achieving peace, democracy and better living standards, it could act as a bridge to encourage single-issue struggles to present a united front.

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Kakushinkon
The Association for a Peaceful, Democratic and Progressive Japan (Kakushinkon) was formed at the call of the JCP in 1980 for the purpose of promoting solidarity with a wide range of people, regardless of political or ideological differences, to achieve the common objectives of peace, democracy, and better living standards.

Kakushinkon is increasing ties between nonpartisan people and the JCP, and developing as a movement for building a progressive majority that supports a democratic change in politics.

Many public figures are collaborating with Kakushinkon and contributing to heightening public awareness.