Japanese Only...
Source: POLITICAL REVIEW QUARTERLY NO.40
AUTUMN-WINTER 1991
THE POLITICAL REVIEW JAPAN COMMITTEE
JRA AND THE JAPANESE REVOLUTION (1)
ANTI-U.S. AND ANTI-MONOPOLY POPULAR REVOLUTION
We have received the following article from
the JRA. We believe it will be good for understanding
the political line of the JRA in particular
and Japanese revolution in general.
I. Present Condition of Japan
1. How Japan was developed after the War?
Japanese imperialism was defeated in its
aggressive war in Asia-Pacific region (the
World War II) mainly by the unwavering power
of national liberation of the Asia-Pacific
oppressed peoples. After the War, Japanese
imperialism has survived under the control
of U.S. occupation forces by confronting
and struggling against the Japanese people
while exploiting U.S. imperialism. With its
own ambition for the world domination, U.S.
imperialism encouraged democratization policy
of Japanese government to keep Japan inside
capitalist camp, and to liquidate popular
revolution. So, U.S. imperialism did not
put Tenno (Emperor) on war tribunal although
he was the supreme war criminal, but maintained
Tenno systcm, and pushed the dissolution
of the military clique and "Zaibatsu"
(financial oligarchies) as well as enactment
of peaceful Constitution and carried out
the agrarian reform.
But, U.S. imperialism fortified Japan as
a fortress of anti-communism and anti-revoiution
against the victories of Asian national liberation
struggles in China, Korea and Vietnam. By
forcing aggressive war against Korea, U.S.
imperialism and monopolist capital of Japan
have mounted anti-communist and anti-revolutionary
total offensive on Japanese people who have
been waking up for the democratic value,
and thus smothered popular struggle.
Special war procurement of U.S. imperialism
during Korean aggression war has revived
Japanese monopolist capital. The ruling class
of Japan concluded a separate peace (San
Francisco Peace Treaty) and the Japan-U.S.
Security Treaty with U.S. imperiaiism, and
established post-war State system of 1955
Establishment. This was set up, under "Cold
War" structure covering the world, in
coordination with U.S. imperialist strategy
of anti-communism and anti-revolution to
drive a wedge into the working class and
people over the world, supported by imposing
the productivity enhancement movement and
the International Federation of Free Trade
Unions coupled with "war reconstruction
aid".
The '55 Establishment was formed on the defeat
of struggles waged by the working class and
working people for democratization after
the War. Since then, the ruling class deployed
higher economic growth policy.
In 1960, people had risen up nation-wide
against prolongation of the Japan-U.S. security
treaty and closure of the Miike coal mines,
but the ruling class defeatced them and imposed
imperialist restructuring and rule on the
floor and offices. In 1965 Japanese imperialism,
on conclusion of Japan-South Korea Treaty,
launched on the first big-scale economic
aggressions overseas. People had resisted
that drive, but could not bring down the
ruling system.
In the '70s, higher economic growth policy
faced bankruptcy under such conditions of
oil crises and the victory of Vietnamese
people and the retreat of U.S. imperialism.
As the Japanes ruling class could not go
on ruling as before, they launched a re-organization
of industrial structure, on the leverage
of intensified oppression and exploitation
of workers, and rapidly pushing militarist
restructuring on and on through rule from
above and organization work from grass-root.
In '80s, thanks to the re-structuring of
the industries and re-organizing of the labor
movements, Japanese imperialism came out
of the stagnation while U.S. and EC were
still in it. Japanese economy expanded to
the second largest economy after the U.S.,
through the huge export of the goods. It
created the enormous trade surplus of Japan,
while U.S. increased its trade deficit. The
contradictions among imperialist countries
intensified.
U.S. continuously pressured Japan to open
the Japanese market for U.S. products. Japanese
monopolist capitalist and the government
pushed on the internationalization of Japan
and "liquidation of the post-war policies".
Japanese government pushed the "Administrative
Reform" which privatised the state monopoly
companies and rationalized its employees
on the one hand. On the other hand, it declared
that Japan was a member of the west and the
AMPO is the military alliance against the
Soviet Union, which meant it abandoned tradition
of "all directional foreign policies"and
hesitation to face the anti-war oriented
Japanese people.
"Administrative Reform" destroyed
the last strong hold of the leftist labor
movement such as the National Railway Trade
Union and helped to complete the re-organization
of whole labor Unions to the imperialist
labor movement "Rengo". Leftist
national center of the trade union which
had been main force of Japanese progressive
movement break up by themselves. It was the
victory of the monopolist capitalists. Same
things happened on the Political level. Leftist
oriented the Socialist Party of Japan changed
their policies to the right and started to
seek the coalition with center parties.
It called the "'85 Establishment"
by the LDP. Japanese government strengthened
the politico-military alliance with U.S.
and building up of the SDF without hesitation.
It opened the Japanese market from a capital
market to agricultural products. This measures
destroyed the small, medium business and
the agricultures. The working class faced
the increase of the intensity of work.
After the Plaza agreement, Japanese industrial
structure changed drastically. Almost doubled
Yen values forced the Japanese monopolistic
capital sifted their productions to overseas.
They went one way to Asia and other way to
U.S. and EC for setting up their production
line. In Japan, they pushed more rationalization
over their production line in order to keep
their products competitive.
Monopolistic capitalist, which has already
gathered the money through the huge trade
surplus, doubled their value of wealth suddenly.
Tremendous surplus capital created the babble
economy which the big enterprise were ganbling
in the stock market, land and other properties.
It created the new problem of the people.
Skyrocketing land and other properties prices
widened the gap between the rich and poor.
Ordinary people can not afford to buy their
house though they got the highest wages in
the world nominally.
The trade imbalance with U.S. has not decreased
and the pressure of U.S. against Japan increased.
U.S. demanded to open more market and change
the structure of Japanese business. Japanese
monopoly capital, which is depending on the
U.S. market heavily, accepted the demand
and sacrifice the peasants, small and medium
business to keep the U.S. market for their
products. For the same reasons, Japanese
government paid the cost of the U.S. military
forces stationed in Japan and provide aids
to the countries which U.S. wants. Japanese
government introduced the consumer tax despite
the strong opposition of the Japanese people
in order to compensate the money for helping
the U.S. strategy.
Japanese imperialism has dominated the Asian
economy and created horizontal and vertical
divisions of labor. Now it wants to expand
its role not on]y economic fields but politico-military
fields as well.
EC and U.S. has created the own blocs under
the name of "free trade" which
aimed to survive their economy against Japan.
Japan needs its own bloc in order to survive
its monopoly.
2. Monopoly capital controls the State and
rules the people
Monopoly capital, on the base of huge concentration
and accumulation of capital and on the nucleus
of modern bank capital, forms big enterprise
groupings collecting industrial monopoly
capital and general trading companics, and
thus exercise total and absolute control
on Japanese economy including agriculture,
forestry, fisheries, small and medium-sized
businesses. Monopoly capital adheres to the
State, parasitize on State, and forms highly
organized financial oligarchies by means
of encouraging the State to take such policies
as official financial expenditure, financial
investment and loans, and such accumulation
incentives as special exempt on business
taxation, official aid of trade and exchange
control, capital aid for huge investment
abroad like national projects, thus, forms
the substance of so called "the Japan
Incorporation".
On the wake of economic slump of 1974-75,
monopolist capital of Japan launched the
second phase of economic aggression overseas.
In order to cope with competition among imperialist
countries aggravated by capital liberalization
and the dollar defnse, reflecting uneven
development of imperialism, monopolist capital
of Japan forced mergers, take-overs, management
cooperations among themselves, while forced
rationalization of own groups. By that process,
i.e., reorganization and selection of sub-contract
businesses, monopolist capital formed huge
monopoly system (6 Zaibatsu and giant enterprese
body), seeking for neo-colonialist deployment
whose target is Asia on the one hand, and
multi-nationalization strategy on the other.
Yet, in this modern world, monopolist capital
could not react alone due to the upsurge
of socialism and national liberation struggle
and weakened power of imperialism, but depend
on alliance of anti-communism and anti-revolurion
figure headed by U.S. imperialism, in order
to maintain its establishment and achieving
its ambition for aggression. Then, monopolist
capital formed advanced front and rear base
of anti-communism and anti-revolution against
peoples of Asia and the Middle East by maintaining
and strengthening AMPO and keeping U.S. bases
in Japan while strengthening Self-Defense
Forces. By doing so, monopoly capital pursues
endlessly profits and oppresses nations.
Particularly, monopoly capital intensifies
economic and political dictate on southern
half of Korean Peninsula, with a scheme of
building up military alliance among Japan,
South Korea, and U.S. in one body.
Monopoly capitalist strategy that pushes
such nove is a handful group of the total
population. Those monopoly groupings close
its ranks with general capital stance and
forms federation bodies to arrange problems
among monopoly capitalists, to direct and
control LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) government.
to organize all the capitalist class, and
to wage struggle as well as rule the working
class and working people. They are the KEIDANREN
(Federation of Economic Organization), the
NIKKEIREN (Nippon Federation of Employers'
Association), the NISS-HOU (Japan Chamber
of Commerce and Industry) , and the DOUYUKAI
(Japan Committee for Economic Devcelopment)
that are four strategic orgitnization systems.
Monopoly capital intensifies its rule on
the people at home and oppression and anti-revolutionary
drive against other nations. It is to seek
profits more and more, and pushes on rapid
militarist restructuring. The key for restructuring
as such is worsening of the present Constitution
and stepping up AMPO, while consolidating
its rule on the floor and offices against
workers as concrete drive to reach national
mobilization and readiness for aggression
and anti-revolutionary moves.
Espccially, after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, Japanese imperialism is showing its
clear intention of the revival of the "Creat
East-Asian Coprosperity Sphere" which
was the slogan of the Japanese invasion in
the world war two. Japanese government is
trying to send the SDF to Asia under the
name of U.N. peace keeping operation in Cambodia
and create new image of Tennoism. Moreover
U.S. pressure on Japan intensified and it
will force Japan seek the way to the "Great
East-Asian Co-prosperity Sphere".
3. Rule and plunder of all the people by
monopoly capital aggravates contradictions
between people and monopolist capital, rendering
the following social situation.
The working class, comprising nearly 70%
of the labor population are under such attack
of intensified labor intensity, rationalization
(discharge), and lower wage on the pretext
of resisting stagnation and inflation".
In labor process, too, workers are divided
by computerization and automation, organized
into self-managing work campaign and so on,
or put under severe labor conditions in sub-contracting
of sub-sub-contracting businesses. Workers
are forced to suffer under 300% of exploitation
rate. In their living, too, workers must
live under frustration, being turned into
loan-slaves, being chained with capital more
and more, and thus, being deprived of humane
life.
Under multi-layered structure of segregation
and discrimination of huge pool of sub-contracting,
indirect-contracting, and seasonal-contracting
workers in the society, which is peculiar
to Japan, monopoly capital intensifies exploitation
and plunder of women, Buraku people, and
Asian residents in Japan.
Despite of these deteriorating working conditions
and aggravating uncertainty of life, union
movement failed to demonstrate its power
by unity. It is mainly because of strategic
offensive as well as segregation and discrimination
of the enemy. The fact is labor unions of
big enterprises rather rule on workers. Still,
struggle of worker demanding much humane
labor and living are expanding to grass-root
separately.
As the result of bias on heavy industries,
big cities, and monopoly capital in the framework
of higher economic growth policy, peasants
face abandoning of agriculture, increased
agricultural products import from the U.S.A.,
flow into the cities after devastation of
their farmland and villages, and become workers
or semi-workers. Even medium-sized farmers
are under the rule of NOKYO (Agricultural
Cooperative).
Fishermen, especially coastal fishing business
and small and medium-sized ones, are comparatively
decreasing their number because of government
policies of putting priority on monopoly
capital and industry. They are facing difficult
management and have no option but to become
workers as the result of systematic rule
to the point of circulation process by big
fishing companies.
Self-employed in urban areas, under such
conditions of concentration of production
and circulation to the urban areas, they
face either take-over by monopoly or decline
or become semi-workers. Thus, cycle of opening
and closing business becomes quite short,
which shows uncertainty and unstableness
of life.
Small and medium-sized business (less than
100 million Yen capital) make up 99% of total
number of business. They are also under the
rule and plunder of monopolist capital, by
stumbling into sub-contractors or bankruptcy.
But, big monopoly capital of Japan exists
on them. Small and medium-sized businesses,
under rule and plunder of monopolist capital,
make much deteriorating work intensity and
worse labor conditions than big businesses.
Monopoly capital, so as to win international
competition, is aiming at multi-nationalization
and intensifying exploitation and oppression
of workers.
4. Not only inside Japan, commodity and capital
exports are aggravating exploitation and
plunder of other peoples and nations in the
hands of monopoly capital, which sharpens
antagonistic conflicts against people over
the world.
Monopoly capital of Japan, in limitless pursuit
for profit, while hoarding up huge accumulation
of surplus capital, intensifies economic
aggression and political control on peoples
of the world. And its central target is Asian
region. Namely, in quest for cheaper material,
natural resources, work force, and markets
for commodity as well as capital, monopoly
capital of Japan intensifies multi-nationalization
and neocolonialist aggression, which ageravates
antagonistic confrontation against peoples
of the world.
II. NATURE OF JAPANESE REVOLUTION
Under these circumstances prevailing in Japan,
prime contradictions of the Japanese society
is the one between reactionary forces headed
by monopoly capitalist class and people whose
main force is the working class. So, the
task of the Japanese Revolution at present
stage is to dismantle the rule of Japanese
monopoly capitalists on people of Japan,
expel U.S. imperialist forces, and to open
the road to socialist development.
Therefore, the nature of revolution is anti-monopoly
and anti-U.S. popular revolution against
rule and alliance of monopolist capital with
U.S. imperialism. People, closing their ranks,
shoulder such revolution towards socialist
one through completely exercising democracy,
while that revolution is a link of the world
proletarian revolution.
The Popular Revolution of Anti-monopoly and
Anti-U.S. imperialism is waged by people
themselves whose mainstay is working class.
It acquires the foundation that the nature
of democratic revolution will be continued
into socialist-oriented revolution by dismantling
the rule of monopolist capitalists that is
the essence of capitalist rule. When party
fulfilled its role to achieve socialism,
it converts into socialist revolution rapidly.
The revolution that confronts Japanese and
U.S. imperialism, who are direct enemy of
Asian-Pacific peoples, will be connected
with socialist countries and national liberation
struggles of the world and Asia, and will
play the role of revolutionary base.
Who are the obstacles of the Japanese Revolution?
They are monopoly capitalist stratum that
handle state power, Tenno and imperial families
that have been serving as the key for national
unity for the ruling means of monopoly capital
rule, senior bureaucrats of government and
state who enjoy intimate relations with and
serve for monopolist capital, big landlords,
LDP government as their representative, and
Self-Defense Forces, police, prison, prosecutor's
office and courts are guardians of these
enemies and these reactionary state institutions
must be disbanded.
In addition, U.S. imperialism that supports
Japanese monopolist capital by AMPO system
as anti-communist and anti-revolutionary
alliance, and launches aggression and oppresses
peoples of Asia and the world is our struggling
object.
Who are to shoulder the revolution as such?
They are popular forces of anti-monopoly
such as, peasants, fishermen, self-employed
in urban areas, intelligentsia, women, youth,
discriminated people, under the guidance
of working class as their leading class.
And they are demanded to fight with every
people who stand for anti-monopoly.
lll. Tasks of Revolution
The current task of revolution that liberates
Japan from the rule of monopolist capitalists
and achieves socialism is to dismantle a
state power of the ruling classes led by
monopoly capital bureaucrats, police, armed
forces, and people's seizure of power under
proletarian hegemony, and establish popular
power. It must be the one that paves the
way for the first step for socialist revolution.
The Popular Revolution, notwithstanding any
form it might lake regarding balance of various
classes and forces under power relations
at that moment, or notwithstanding any policies
it might take, can not be established as
popular power nor can be developed to further
stages if the degree of the democracy of
people was not prevailed in all the fields
of people's life. The guidance of the proletariat
or the dictatorship of proletariat is to
widen and to deepen the democracy of people.
Therefore, the strategic key for achieving
popular power is through achieving unity
of people and cohesion of parties under guidance
of class-nature of working class. For revolution
is the enterprise by people and of people.
So much so, when people, as masters of revolution,
themsclves shoulder it and achieve class
unity through struggle, they can, only in
that time, build up the real popular power.
Therefore, it is neccssary to form Popular
Alliance of Anti-Monopoly, gathering all
the forces that fight against monopoly, as
the direct form of people's participation
to politics, by developing unity of various
forces of people. We can envisage the process
of establishing popular power by the process
of expansion of that united front's quality
and quantity.
Our party exerts utmost efforts on gathering
all the power of people into that Alliance
and on forming the embryo of popular power
though the process of uniting the Alliance.
On the other hand, we put it into consideration
that some government of transitional form
might be established suitable for overthrowing
the rule of monopoly capital on the process
of popular power. Namely, with the prospect
of advancing the establishment of popular
power, popular forces of anti-monopoly might
form united-front government with political
objective agreed upon the time being.
Our party sets unity of people at the central
value of the party, and aims at formation
of popular united front of anti-monopoly.
At the same time, in order to develop popular
revolution of anti-monopoly and anti-U.S.
imperialism constantly into socialist revolution
that implements democracy of people in much
thoroughgoing manner, our party intensifies
its efforts on expansion of guiding capacity
of working class. The necessary link for
enhancing people's struggle as well as people's
seizure of power is correct tactics, ideological
cohesion, and independent power of the people.
Thus, our party makes independent preparations
necessary for materializing seizure of power.
IV. POPULAR POWER
What role people themselves are demanded
to play in establishing popular power?
Popular power that is to be established is
active and democratic power by which people
directly and practically execute their power
as masters of the society. People practically
and effectively participate and self-manage
every fields and stages of State power. Workers,
peasants, fishermen, self-employed of the
urban area, women, youth, discriminated people,
intelligentsia, middle and small-sized businessmen,
and labor union organizations of working
masses strata, and social groups are the
decision-makers of power institutions of
the concerned fields.
The popular power with the characteristics
of power of popular alliance under the leadership
of the working class, exercises complete
popular democracy, and radically transforms
the former structure of state, and establishes
People's Republic and thus implements democratic
social system that materializes completely.
What role should the government under popular
power play?
The popular government of anti-monopoly is
not the one people participate or cooperate,
but the one people rule themselves and directly
implement people's demand as well as interests.
And it is based on the federation of the
local popular governments. Therefore, popular
government shoulders state administration
under the control of Federation of Popular
Councils which is a federation of the Local
Popular Council based on people's production
and living established on the production
sites and local peculiarity.
What role should party play regarding to
the popular power?
Each revolutionary forces, in closing ranks
with each other and in cooperation with social
organizations of people, assist people in
their active and independent struggle in
their enterprise of establishing People's
Republic and anti-imperialist internationalism.
Our party shall play the role of assisting
people in their struggle for establishing
popular power and its transitional management,
and in their struggle to achieve class unity.
Internationally, on the wake of the victory
of Japanese Revolution, party's role is to
push vigorously on unity of anti-imperialist
united front and international communist
movement.
V. POPULAR PROGRAM
The Popular Government of Anti-Monopoly will
completely dismantle the monopoly capitalist
domination by the general consensus of the
people, transform existing State power and
institutions, and completely implement democracy
or people in politics, so that people can
establish the new society by which people
can practically exercise their power. And,
the Popular Government of Ami-Monopoly will
liquidate social economic relations that
the rule of monopolist capitalists had institutionalized,
it will completely implement democracy of
people in social economic relations, so that
people can build up actively and independently
their labor and life.
Moreover, the Popular Government of Anti-Monopoly
will implement complete democracy of people
in the direction of the society, through
strengthening popular power and establishing
state sovereignty, so that people can fight
imperialism at home and abroad, and achieve
popular unity with peoples of various countries.
1. In the political field
(1) In order to make people to be master
of administrative institutions and execute
power, people establish Popu]ar Council as
the local power which materialize autonomy
and living together among them on the foundation
of popular united front of anti-monopoly
and also corresponding to the context. As
a national coordination body, Federation
of Popular Council will be formed, gathering
unions of popular strata such as labor unions
and peasant unions and social associations.
Popular Power will not be based under any
form of centralized power but local popular
power which people can participate and check
it directly.
(2) Enactment of Popular Constitution. It
stipulates social system and policies with
principle of complete democracy of people.
2. In the field of society and economy
(1) dismantling of monopoly capitals and
big land lords and re-organizing their assets
according to the way of autonomy and living
together.
(2) improvement of people's livelihood, economy
to ensure independence, self-reliance and
self-support of the society.
3. In the field of military and diplomacy-direction
of the society
(1) dismantling of Self-Defense Forces. Creation
of a popular armed forces for defense of
popular power.
(2) non-aligned and independent, new state
will play international role for peace and
living together with the other countries.
Abrogation of all the military treaties and
alliance such as Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
Vl. PROSPECT OF THE REVOLUTION
The Popular Revolution of Anti-Monopoly and
Anti-U.S. imperialism must be continuously
developed into socialist transformation that
aims at general abolishment of capitalist
productive mode by opening up the first phase
of socialist revolution by itself.
Whether leadership of working class can be
established or not in the Popu]ar Revolution
is not only the decisive guarantee for the
victory of socialist revolution's second
phase but also strengthens preparedness in
ideology and material for continuously advancing
socialist revolution.
The Federation of Popular Councils and the
government under its control will implement
the Popular Program of Anti-Monopoly to the
full extent, and advance the revolution into
socialism and communism as the result of
such development. The foundation of such
development is wisdom and power of working
class and people on the one hand, and party's
assistance that helps them.
The road that binds Japanese people with
peoples over the world in the common value
as human being is only through socialist
construction.
On the second phase of socialist revolution,
people deepen the substance of proletarian
dictatorship prepared under popular power,
and establish socialist institutions by completely
liquidating productive relationship of capitalism.
Namely, democracy of people is completely
implemented on this phase. In order to improve
living of all the components of the society
and guarantee to live together, party assists
people on this stage for changing capitalist
ownership of means of production and circulation
into the one of general people and for abolishing
all forms of exploitation through executing
planning and socialization of social productive
process, and for aiming at abolishing class
rule and class proper. Through these process
and means, people abolish national oppressions
and uneven developments and make out assimilation
of nations on the base of equality and of
all the nations.
In the socialist system under the class superiority
of proletariat, socialism can achieve final
victory through gaining support for proletariat
by all the components of the society.
In socialist society, human being transforms
all the fetters that hinders him from living
together with other human beings and with
aim-consciousness and gain the value as human
being and build up communal society where
he can live happy and equal life because
he is free..
In that society, people live "From each
according to his ability, to each according
to his labor."
Components of the society as such integrate
aim-direction as a collective, and administer
voluntarily.
Maturing process to communism from these
phases of socialism is the establishing process
of widening and deepening democracy of people
over the world. That process is materialized
by quality integrating process of parties
over the world.
On the higher level of communism, people
will score enormous development and build
up the new communal society, while differences
between mental and physical labors, urban
and rural areas, proletariat and peasants,
and contradictions among nations will cease.
"From each according to his ability,
to each according to his needs." Demand
of life of people for the better leads to
self-revolutionizing and transformation of
the society, to liquidation of class and
class difference as all the restriction and
negation, and eventually to communist society
when State proper withers. On this stage,
people achieve the real human emancipation,
and materialize communal society where people
share the sole aim-consciousness and bound
together by such human relations as everyone
is equal in human value. Hence, the real
human history starts. With this aim-consciousness
in mind and aim at seizing power, our party
does not act for people, nor strengthen executive
power, but shoulder the struggle of revolutionary
process.
After people succeed in seizing power, our
party exert utmost efforts on nurturing popular
power from grass-roots but not put priority
on participating in the government, as party
envisage withering away of State and Paryt.
For the time being, with the aim of building
such society, our party aime at the victory
of popular revolution of anti-monopoly and
anti-U.S. imperialism that reality implement
democracy of people by struggling to the
full against the rule of Japanese monopolist
capital and to expel U.S. imperialism.
Let's oppose war policy and steer Japan for peace-and-ecology-oriented country !
May 30, 1999 The Japanese Red Army
We in the Japanese Red Army, in the name of all the comrades, would like to send solidarity and militant greetings to Japanese popular masses, friends and comrades.
The JRA was born in the heart of the Japanese struggle for achieving anti-war peace, has launched armed struggle in the 70s, now building up ranks of internationalism and solidarity.
On the wake of the 21st century, we are determined to keep on struggling so as to put an end to the current belligerency age and open up the coming century as anti-war and peace era.
1. New governance and systemized-control under expanding warfare and belligerent policies are globally covering the planet.
The most striking phenomena of our world today, on the doorstep to the 21st century is foreign policy pivoting on military dominance. Nobody can deny the fact that foreign policy propelled by military power spearheaded by the U.S.A. is the main driving force of the world: for example, NATO's bombardment of the Yugoslavia, U.S.-U.K. air-strikes against Iraq, tension over the Korean Peninsula.
Who can definitely justify the NATO's bombardment as self-proclaimed "punishment for crimes against human being" is more humanitarian than Yugo government. It is a fact that Miloshevic government failed in solving national issues, by expanding Serbian interests after the death of Tito, which culminated in separation of the republics of the former Yugoslavia. Yet, we must see clear point here; the real purpose of that abnormally stubborn bombardment is to destroy the last surviving socialist government in Europe after the fall of socialist states of East Europe in 1989.
Clinton administration hoisted the flag of global order based on "market democracy" as the political ideal to lead the 21st century after the fall of the Soviet Union and socialist states of the Eastern Europe, sending in "the Crusaders"、 remolding the globe by its military might. Such a fundamentalistic approach naturally drives the world to disorder more and more.
What this "market democracy" means after all? Global domination of capitalism, that's it. First, government must be elected under plural-party system: representation democracy. Second, market economy must prevail. Third, to integrate itself into the global system. They are implications of "market democracy". These criteria were set forward as political concept of global capitalism, the declaration never to allow Soviet-style socialism, one-party-dictatorship, planned economy, and socialist system born again on the earth.
Since the fall of the socialist system of the former Eastern Europe on, imperialist forces are scorching up socialist elements all over the world. The Yugoslavia kept its character as the sole socialist survivor, i.e., refused to Integrate itself into the global system by defending its sovereignty against global standard, it received merciless bombardment.
Let us ask the vital question. Can "market democracy" propagated by global capitalism be qualified as to give happiness to people after all?
The first characteristics of global capitalism's governance is to cover the world by such standards that permit free movement of capital. Needless to say, such standards did not pop up from historical development or evolution of any given country, but imposed by other foreign powers as "a rational" means to guarantee the freedom of giant capital, and integrating the globe by that international standard, paying no attentions nor exceptions to different developments of each country. To boost globalist forces in any given country, trans-governance-system (not only integrating each apparatus from economy to law-enforcement by global standard but also expanding collaborations between them) or global conferences acquire more authority. Thus, accounting standard, anti-drug cooperations, anti-"terror" standard are covering the world. That implies not only to direct oppression by those standards on revolutionary liberation forces but also to potential threats to trigger destruction of social system of each country and regulations on civil liberty as a whole.
Global standards as such, copy-cat of American standards, is nothing but a scheme of American administration to expand American capitalism of mass-consumption-oriented and trim out any opposing elements as "illegal".
The second characteristics is controlling each country's sovereignty by giving trans-national-organizations or groupings such as WTO, IMF, WB, G7 Summit, Basel Commission, Davos Conference, United Nations, etc., etc. They function to settle down contradictions among global capitalist states (reading imperialist), while controlling weaker countries more and more in the name of global rule or standards: mouthpiece of big powers to execute their rule.
Trans-national organizations exercise more power, which polarizes nations, dividing the world into 2 groups; hegemony states on the one hand and a group of subjected states on the other. Moreover, a group of neo-liberalist states will be born when ultra-monopoly buys up states.
The hegemony states seek for profitteering by state power, while, other group of states can not help accepting policies imposed by hegemony states or international organizations.
The third characteristics is that national economy is losing its self-containment character. Global capitalist rule demands national economy to meet different needs of global capital. The role of state taken for granted so far is now undergoing changes corresponding to deployment of global capital. Japan is not an exception in this process. State establishment now is a subject to freedom of capital. Therefore, state demands people more sacrifices, destroys human and social relationships, devastates planetwide ecology, polarizing inside a country as well as world-level, deteriorating poverty and hunger, triggering regional conflicts, nuclear warfare.
The fourth is forcing people to drastically change living mode itself in any human society. Globalism drives people to money-oriented living, to consumption-oriented life-style and competition, to egotism. As if those life-style has a universal value, which divides strata of the society, ethnic groups, nations: alienation worsens. As domination of global capitalism gets stronger and universal, foreign elements of capitalist production relationship taking over natural developments of any country such as history or tradition. The deeper the integration got, the bitter confrontations gets among cultural and thinking value of each country, nation, and region. It leads no peace of any kind, but chaos worldwide deteriorated.
Meanwhile, "market democracy" functions as a political concept to steer global capitalism, which gives people a chance to turn it into a weapon to resist domination of global capitalism. An example. Military domination symbolized by the NATO's bombardment ignited a condition for defending sovereignty anti-war and peace resistance. The clearer global capitalism boasts value of "market democracy", the stronger people would demand enterprises fairness and transparency and democracy because the logic of enterprise casts the mask of inhumane and anti-democratic greed. On the political scene, too, popular voice demanding more engagement/ autonomy, self-determination will getting louder and louder over the world、 resisting "market democracy" rule.
Thus, we can say that struggle over democracy, not the one based on market but the one based on human beings and cohabit with the Nature, is getting fiercer.
In other words, democracy seeking people's sovereignty that 20th century wisdom of human beings has established will be handed over to democracy of humanism that would bring peace over the world and cohabit with the Nature in the coming century.
What kind of society we want to make? It is not after the capitalist model that make the Nature and human beings slaves to capital. It will give the priority on ecology and living of people, where all of us share equality and no discrimination. That ideal is something we might achieve tomorrow, but we are making from our step by step resistance in our everyday life, hand in hand with people beside us, and making our resistance better step by step.
What we need is to ensure more politico-social engagement of such people who are trying to make such an ideal into concrete shape. Because, when we get more politico-social engagement, we can proceed to nurture autonomy and self-determination. The key is to build up engagement democracy that asks all of us to change the present conditions and to extend helping hands each other.
In the 20th century, human society has achieved democracy by popular engagements. Let us push on this democratic will of people, to such field of inter-state relationship, enterprise logic, society system. Our weapons are integrated popular wisdom and power based on various livings of the society and ecological conditions. That kind of weapons is in pressing need more than ever.
Let us win the confrontation over what kind of democracy we make in the 21st century, so as to make cohabiting society age come true when we can live more humanely in harmony with natural environment. Let's push such democracy, popular engagement-democracy, to the highest stage.
2. Let's replace Obuchi administration's belligerent policy with peace-oriented one and defend the standing Constitution.
Japan is heading to dangerous war road.
ANPO (U.S.-Japan Security Treaty) "Guideline" ("War Manuals" as American counterpart terminology) paved a way for Japan to be a junior regional partner of U.S. military hegemony over the world, preparing Japan to future military engagement against Korea and China. The dice is cast. When we put A plus B, there can be no doubt that Japanese government opted for war-shift following U.S. strategy.
Recently Japanese Lower House passed "Emergency Related Bills". They are sisters of "National Mobilization Bill" of pre-war time. With this legislation, Japan will offer U.S. armed forces free use of civil or private installations. It's a war law, precisely. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces(SDF hereafter) hightened national tension when they chased so-called "suspect ship" out of the territorial water but opened fire and launched bombs on the open sea, but self-proclaimed "air-defense area".
With this fait-accompli, the legislation above-mentioned stipulated the SDF can engage in battle.
Obuchi administration， since launching of "Tepodon" rocket, opened big mouth on crisis of the Korean Peninsula or "threat of North Korea" ,mobilizing mass media. On that occasion, the Diet (Parliament) unanimously adopted accusing resolution against People's Democratic Republic of Korea. Did anybody checked the information before that resolution? Never. It reminds us of pre-war time. These political sentiment surely paves the way for war preparation epoch. The ruling LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) made a coalition agreement with LP (Liberal Party, a splinter from the LDP), and with Justice Party, ready to swing Japan to rightward in an instant. It's an ominous omen for Japan inside the Asian military alliance, including actions outside regional boundary corresponding to the NATO's deployment these days.
Japan has spent the first half of the 20th century as military aggressor against neighbors. For the generation of our fathers and mothers, it was the years of poverty, hard struggle, despair and submission, too.
Since the defeat of aggression wars against Asian neighboring nations, Japanese people have opened up new age, and bringing up peace as their power opposing war increased. So, defending peaceful constitution got national consensus. The Japanese people could spend latter half of this century constructing materially prosperous society.
Having lived with the Peace Constitution, Japan is marching on the war road again. "Emergency Bill" , "Tackling Organized Violence Bill", and "Residents Registration Bill" are already on the Diet agenda. The government is planning to fasten the grip on civil liberties and human rights in the name of "convenience". With state control getting bigger, the government is pushing Japanese nationals to war-readiness.
Though we are sure that majority will of the Japanese people is seeking peace, ruling political parties do not care for reflecting that will.
Japan today is marching as an integrated part of global market, hurrying up reshape with global standards, administrative reforms, and deregulation. Financial crisis still drags on economic recovery. Recession continues. Banks could get public fund, while deregulation has taken such shapes of "financial big-ban", allowing banks to share stocks of enterprises, softening labor control. As "Economic Strategy Committee" reported, the Japanese economy is undergoing shapeups complying to global standards. U.S. financial capital embarked on the Japanese market. Enterprises are under pressure whether to change into global capital such as Sony or not. Capital demands State to function as a leverage for surviving global competition, in expense of people's living and welfare.
This kind of drastic change of state functions implies to unlimited public coffer channeled to financial monopoly or war preparations, while public spending to welfare, education, health care and pensions gets lesser and lesser.
Consequently, past values and social relations have fallen into pieces, aggravating social problems such as educational or health services.
Unemployment recorded highest since the end of War, particularly middle-aged or aged suffer most. Human relations has hit the record-low devastation; middle-aged or aged suicide cases increase, educational problems worsen, juvenile crimes increasing and getting violent. As senior population increased, critical question emerging how to ensure guarantee/help system for those who had played vital roles such as senile care insurance or worsened pension programs. It is a blatant burden swap on people's shoulder, cutting off the weaker, and imposing sacrifices on the socially weaker; rampant feature in almost all imperialist states that force States serve for capital demands.
As long as Japan steers as partner of the U.S. administration, but not omni-direction diplomacy, Japan can not help pushing on war policies , suffering from recession, playing the past role all over again as oppressor nation in Asian region as well as in the world.
Is it the road for Japan to take in this transition period from post-Cold-War upheaval and reorganization? We do not think so. We think, rather, now is a chance for Japan to keep marching on peace-oriented road, established with the 9th Article of the Constitution on repentance of fascism, then score economic stability as cohabittance with Asian neighbors, by giving priority on keeping peace and ecology and thus playing its role as contributor to the world peace. There is no reason why Japan can not deny any alliance with foreign countries, including the U.S.S., instead, can conclude friendship and peace treaties with all the countries. Japan now is misled to a wrong course steered by a group that shares identical interests with the U.S.A., coupled with economy-oriented group that got together for immediate profits.
We can never allow Japan to go to war or to join war. Let's cover Japan with grass-root popular engagement, steadfastly opposing belligerent policies and bring peace.
3. Let's materialize internationalism by expanding and deepening democracy!
Japanese people, friends, and comrades !
It's been 27 years since the Lydda Airport Struggle. Arab Palestinian struggle has reached different stage from those days when warfare was the main phenomena that had needed international guerrilla wars.
On last May 17th, then ruling Likud, under command of Netanyahu, has lost the election to the Labor,,headed by Barak whom global capital and Clinton Administration backed up. Israel is turning into the course the assassinated Rabin set forth. That change is paving the way for "peace process", reading "land for peace". "Peace Process" has another face. It means a new Middle East Order Program, including Middle East Marshal Plan, pivoting on Israeli supremacy in the region that will be an integral part of global capitalism.
When we talk about just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, it will inevitably implement not only the "peace process" in the past, but also establishment of the Palestinian state as well as recognize the right to return. Such kind of peace would enhance broader struggle to exercise popular rights resisting neo-colonial domination, stretching hands to and marching side by side with resistance all over the world against global capitalism domination.
The 21st century ushers us in confrontation of two kinds of democracy; market-oriented one vs popular sovereignty-oriented one.
Marxism that had laid the foundation for human liberation in the 20th century has now grown up into popular-sovereignty-democracy, waging hard resistance in many parts of the globe against global capitalism domination.
Socialism had tried to bring human society where exploitation and oppression uprooted and equality and fairness prevailed. The needs to implement such a society is pressing evermore against global capitalism domination. Technological innovation and information revolution have covered the earth without geographical difference or time lag. Not only domination but also subjugation proceed with real time and shares the identical quality of confrontation. Popular struggle to exercise democracy has defeated productivity-oriented "socialism" that has copied capitalist paradigm based on profit pursuit by exploitation of people and continuity of industrial revolution. Thus, we need a new paradigm socialism.
Blind pursuit for higher efficiency and technological innovation has devastated environment of the planet, threatening ecology overall by pollution, and pressing popular masses to change their life style. We came to recognize crisis as a species. Nothing can save the world unless it is based on humanism. A new struggle to re-organize human society by philosophy of humanism. That struggle is inevitably can not help resisting globalist domination fundamentally.
Now, the confrontation has begun for building up international order by a new paradigm, through waging multi-layered confrontations against globalist domination; states seeking for fairness, nations seeking for equality, and popular masses seeking for exercising democracy. Popular resistance seems to be a tiny thing and divided, in the face of overwhelming information and propaganda superiority of capital, yet, that tiny resistance, so many kinds, steadfastly deepening its roots and intertwining.
In Japan, Japanese people have waged hard resistance for achieving social justice, anti-war peace, and for defending workers' rights, which culminated in "richness" of higher economic growth age, but not a new nor higher happiness. In addition, our rank had committed devastating mistake such as the United Red Army case that had frozen any hope. We in the Japanese Red Army have also committed many mistakes; we have been waging anti-imperialism pro-socialism struggles, and denied "democracy" as a whole because of hypocritical aspects of institutionalized bourgeois democracy. Our struggles have sometimes neglected people's will and potentials. As a result, we could not effectively respond to people's resistance so as to assist peoples over the world to march sharing compassion, which backfired negatively to the struggle of Japan.
Notwithstanding these circumstances, in Japan, many people and friends kept on marching on. Many movements have advanced on and on, expanding their roots for achieving social justice of Japan, while other movements that could not correct their self-righteousness have retreated from the stage.
The resistance for achieving engaged-democracy has been growing up, through such works to push on utmost democracy in everyday life and work floor, to demand more autonomy and self-determination. That growth backups popular resistance over the world, because it shares the identical fate to resist globalist domination. Why not enhance such a resistance of Japan, the will and power of popular masses against belligerent policies so as to change Japan into peaceful and ecology-oriented country and call for the world to finish wars and save ecology.
Japan as such will surely does not need AMPO (military alliance with the U.S.A.), digging up hole into the U.s. military dominance stretching from the NATO, thus opens a different course of the world.
We in the JRA, too, as a contingent in the anti-global-capitalism front, are determined to wage our resistance, though our capacity is quite limited. Corresponding to popular resistance inside Japan to push on democracy to the highest level, we shall march on with our conviction in building up democracy based on humanism.
4. The JRA, as a contingent of democratic forces to push democaracy to the highest level, shall wage on resistance against globalist hegemony.
May 30th has marked the day of internationalist solidarity. This day, we would like make our stance clear to march on this road, extending our hands to all of you for solidarity, and waiting for new encounters and ties with all of you.
5 of our comrades, now held in Lebanese prisons, also are marching on, under limited conditions. The Japanese Foreign Minister Kohmura, last January on his leg of Middle East tour, demanded again the Lebanese authority to hand them over to Japan. At that instance, he has proposed so-called "4 Principles to solve the Lebanese issue", coupled with financial aides, as a link to Japanese commitment to the regional peace. This time, financial aides was to buy up mediator status in the region, under agreement with the U.S. administration. It's an easy guess that the Japanese government aggressive commitment now is directly linked with our 5 comrades held in Lebanon. Namely, the Japanese authority is quite eager to extradite them by any cost, in addition to capture another comrades, too. New Lebanese government that succeeded Hariri did not agree with Kohmura, telling him, "Return of the JRA 5 members is in the judiciary power, not executive issue."
Thanks to popular forces of Arab Lebanese masses that had constantly supported, morally as well as materially, the 5 JRA members, including Comrade Okamoto, a Lydda Struggle combatant, the new Lebanese government answered to Japan in such a manner.
Popular forces of Arabs are continuing their support, demanding political asylum to Lebanon and refusing extradition of them to Japan. In a press conference ,Kohmura was reported to say, "I am displeased by support extended by a part of Lebanon to the JRA members, who are only criminals back in Japan". By his remark, he disclosed his intention to block support to the JRA members in an exchange of economic aides.
In Arab land, masses have given political recognition to the JRA since the Lydda Airport Struggle, as we have been comrades-in-arms with them.
As a friend to Lebanese, Arab, and any oppressed people over the world, the JRA shall march on till achieve the common goals with them, extending our support, and receiving support from them.
And, our resistance will be a part of the Japanese people's for achieving democracy in the highest stage.
Dearest comrades fighting inside the prisons! The JRA, strongly sharing your will to march on, shall spare no efforts to develop our resistance higher into the 21st century. Once again, the JRA give you our words that we are determined to develop historical heritage of the Lydda Airport Struggle as the launching pad to a new era, when the resistance to achieve democracy based on humanism is the crucial goal.
On March 1, Lebanese government announced
cabinet decision to reject extradition request
by Japanese government of 5 JRA members detained
there since '97 on.
1. We in the JRA, in the name of all comrades,
welcome that decision.
First and foremost, we would like to say
thank you to all people who had been doing
their best to stop extradition. Let us express
our gratitude to Mr. Hoss, Prime Minister,
and the Lebanese government, too, because
they have made a brave decision despite mounting
pressure by Japanese and U.S. governments.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude to Arab
and Lebanese people, politicians, lawyers,
liberation organizations and governments
who have been supporting the 5 and extending
hands till today, inheriting solidarity spirit
between Arab people and the JRA established
with blood-tear-sweat since 1972 on the Lydda
struggle. We must also say thank you to Japanese
people and friends who have committed themselves
to supporting the 5 despite oppression by
Japanese security police.
2. We in the JRA have never been "terrorist",
and are not and shall not be in the future.
Why ruling
forces headed by the USA accuse and persecute
us, labeling us "terrorist"? It
is because we have chosen a road to stand
up with all the people over the world. Looking
for materializing justice and fairness
Now we know that global economic rule is
prevailing, and small countries, under threat
of "anti-terrorism" by big powers,
are facing formidable difficulty to realize
justice and fairness.
So much so, we see that the future of our
5 comrades held in Lebanon are under complex
and delicate circumstances. We as an organization
as well as 5 comrades held in Lebanon are
ready to accept whatever decision the Lebanese
government might take.
Still, we can not point out that righteous
people of Lebanon are demanding their government
to grant our 5 comrades political asylum
so as not to kill justice and fairness based
on Arab cause.
Their own land is still occupied and being
devastated by enemy Israeli air-raid till
now. Thanking energetic support and solidarity
extended by the Lebanese people, we would
like to ask political asylum based on Arab
cause, as the road to take independent and
voluntary decision for realizing justice
and fairness, no matter that country is small
or big.
3. Japanese government has never taken up
responsible commitment for co-existence with
Asian neighbors in 21st century, facing the
aggression history in the past. Moreover,
Japanese governments has never taken up fair
stand to the history of aggression and oppression
by Israel to Arabs. Their sole concern to
the Arabs was how to get secure oil flow.
As a result, Japanese government bribed some
element of Hariri government of Lebanon in
'97 to arrest of our 5 comrades, a demand
of Japanese security police, and repeated
interference to internal affairs of Lebanon,
in the name of "economic aid",
to send them back to Japan. On this occasion,
facing "refusal of extradition by the
Lebanese government, the Japanese government
needs to take lesson of foreign policy mistake
and bankruptcy and proceeds on participating,
with fair and independent stance, to international
community.
4. " Peace process" is stalled
at present, because of Israeli violence.
Israel not only extends occupation and does
not withdraw from Arab occupied land, a pre-condition
for enhancing peace negotiations, but also
repeatedly launching air-raid to civilian
targets in Lebanon.
Clinton Administration and Japanese government
denounce Lebanese popular forces are hindering
peace process. What is "the origin"
the Middle East conflict? Israeli occupation
policy for decades. Lebanese popular forces
are continuing their resistance to materialize
justice and fairness. Thus, we unconditionally
support support resistance/ liberation movement
of the Lebanese people, because they are
realizing justice and peace. We shall march
on hand with peoples over the world who are
demanding justice and fairness.
We, rather, should be proud of the victory
of the people's solidarity which has prevented
the official extradition. On March 17th,
the Political Asylum Committee of the Lebanese
Government has accepted the political asylum
of Comrade Okamoto, but simultaneously made
the decision of deportation for the other
4 Comrades.
1. We, JRA, highly appreciate the decision
of accepting the political asylum of Comrade
Okamoto, following after the earlier decision
ofrefusing the Japanese Government's request
of extradition on March 1st against its presistent
pressure of economic sanction. But we regret
the deportation of 4 Comrades resulted in
the extraditionto Japan under the conspiracy
with some forces of Arab based on the scenario
by the Japanese Government. The decision
of the Lebanese Government is a result achieved
by the continuous struggle of the people
suporting the 5 Comrades of JRA. We, JRA
send heartful thanks gratitude to the continuous
solidarity and support extended by lawyers,
politicians and Lebanese people in behalf
of all Comrades. We understand that the condition
for allowing the political asylum of all
Comrades was lacked under the global economic
domination by the imperialist forces.
2. The Japanese Government has been antagonizing
by dirty means to the peoples in Arab. They
have strongly pressured the Arabic countries,
crying to attack the unity, sovereignty,
and the Arab cause even after Lebanese Government
has refused their request of extradition.
They have dirtily separated 4 Comrades and
Comrade Okamoto, and forcefully took 4 Comrades
to Japan for detention. They have committed
another crime of having cheated the Government
and peoples of Arab by money and lies. On
the other hand, we have a history of people's
solidarity based on the Lydda struggle. We,
JRA and the people of Lebaese and Arab will
never allow the ridicule and crime of Japanese
Government.
3. Comrade Okamoto now accepted the political
asylum, but separated from other Comrades
is going to be placed under the isolated
conclusion. His aftereffect of the torture
in the prison of Israel has made him difficult
to live alone. We, JRA are not allowed to
live with him, however we miss each other.
It is the aim of the Japanese Government
to drive him into such difficulty so that
he will find no other way but to go back
to Japan where the death penalty await him.
We, JRA sincerly ask for the support by Lebanese
people and friends as well as by the Japanese
people and friends.
4. We, JRA will continue to struggle under
any condition and wherever we may be in solidarity.
The return of 4 Comrades is the start of
the new struggle in Japan. We strongly grasp
the historical built upon the Lydda struggle,
one of them is the spirit of self-sacrifice
" any suffering and labor is borne for
the people", constructed by the fighters
of Lydda struggle and leaders of Arab and
another is the humanitarian peoples' solidarity
beyond the border. We will keep these two
deep in mind and will grow the solidarity
so that politics of love and hope for human
beings will be realized. We, JRA succeed
these inheritance and be based on the struggle
of the Japanese people, keep on advancing
with Japanese people as a part of people
forces for justice and equality in the world
with lessons and experience of the struggle
in Arab in our mind. Peoples solidarity will
keep on shinning under the separated condition
will be sprout of hope in the new century.
JRA 2000.18th March
Now the Lebanese people are struggling on their own for the liberation of the area which Israel had occupied. We extend our strong solidarity with this struggle for justice by the Lebanese people and deliver this Declaration with a renewed determination. Let's advance our struggle, bringing our wisdom and ability together and uniting ourselves beyond the border.
1. We will develop our international solidarity which had been opened up by the Struggle of Lidda in 1972 toward a new horizon of people's solidarity.
On May 30, 2000, commemorating the 28th anniversary of the Lidda Airport Assault Operation, we declare to enter the new phase of our struggle. Comrade Okamoto Kozo, who fought the operation 28 years ago, has now been liberated and accepted the political asylum to Lebanon as its first political refugee, restarting open life under the protection by Lebanese Arab people. On the other hand, our four comrades have been detained in Japanese jail after abduction by Japanese regime, which violated international laws under conspiracy with Jordan government. The latter had betrayed Arab cause again. But this has opened up ａ new phase of struggle to be based on Japanese soil. The forced return to Japan by abduction had created an opportunity to launch new phase of action of international solidarity for us from Japanese arena.
Now, we remember the last words of our martyrs of Lidda Struggle;
"We believe these barefooted children who are playing around us would follow after our battle. The struggle beyond the border would secure the Japanese revolution, in turn, would contribute the advancement of people's war in the world. Our friends in Japan ! Let's advance with all friends in the world, succeeding the blazing history of revolution full of actions and sacrifices. Let's strengthen our ranks against our common enemy. Now we are leaving for the battle field together with Palestinian people with deep pride of representing Japanese people in this struggle. Don't carry out funeral, but just fiesta for us and for all the friends of world revolution. "
Now their wish is giving fruit to create our new role in international solidarity through liberated energy since the moment when our five comrades were separated on March 17, 2000, after their detention in 1997. The solidarity between JRA and Arab people entering the new phase of open and public one for justice and equity based on the interest of peoples, from the past covert form caused by our forced illegal presence as the result of the struggle against enemy. We, based on this international solidarity, will enlarge and strengthen our public political activity for justice and equity to challenge our tasks as a part of people's struggle I Japan, depending on the ability of Japanese people.
2. We will develop the solidarity between JRA and Lebanese people into further solidarity between Japanese people and Lebanese Arab people !!
The Lidda Struggle was fought with the spirit of self-sacrifice, based on the strong solidarity of the peoples who share the common fate. We had joined in the struggle in Arab arena, responding to the call by Che Guevarra : "the solidarity should be different from the relations between roman citizens and the gladiator. Let's share the whole fate...", "Let's create second and third Vietnams !"
We fought the Lidda struggle our solidarity as Japanese people, to succeed the Arab martyrs who had fought against Zionist-Israel which had occupied the Palestinian and Arab land and had expelled the Palestinian Arab people from their homeland. The struggle was aimed at recovering from the serious damage given by the Civil War in Jordan through the struggle against the real and common enemy, pushing the national liberation war of Palestinian Arab people into the new stage. It marked the "beacon of counteroffensive" clearly at the center of Palestine, showing our intention to share the wish of Palestinian Arab people. It was just starting of our practice of international solidarity.
But on the other hand, we could not convey the significance of this struggle enough to Japanese people who lived in quite different conditions and circumstances. We, halfway, have abandoned to extend solidarity with Japanese people and under the massive campaign by the enemy labeling us as "indiscriminately violent terrorist". In spite of sympathy and supporting relationship as peoples in the same fate, we could not overcome the difference of the situations in both countries. The definite solidarity between JRA and Lebanese people culminated in the historical process was clearly shown in the struggle of the Lebanese people to support Comrade Okamoto Kozo which have achieved the acceptance of political exile in Lebanon. In order to grow up this solidarity into the broader one between Japanese people and Lebanese people in the 21st century, we will take part in the struggle of Japanese people.
While Japan is considered to be rich and full of materials, the Japanese society is in a cruel situation where "money-first" ideology and harsh competition seriously harm the humanity. People are suffering from another difficulty, collapse of human society, differing from those suffering from poverty in most other countries. The ruling class, including police, banks, business management and politicians and so on, there is all more or less involved in the corruption. The will of youth for justice is suffocated by personal conflict, discrimination and bullying, called "ijime".
If there were atmosphere of supporting neighbors in difficulty in the society, many more young Japanese could enlarge their vision toward the world. We recognize our responsibility to build up the strong tie as solidarity among peoples beyond the difference of the color of the skin, beyond the difference of the languages starting from the solidarity extended to JRA when we see the youth fighting in Lebanon. We will fasten the tie of solidarity closely, make the most of our experience in Arab and keep on changing ourselves to realize the change of Japan.
3. Let's create a variety of solidarity !!
Lidda struggle as military operation was an effective tactical form under then war conditions. As Comrade Ghassan Kanafani commented, "the armed struggle is the best propaganda", the voice of oppressed people could be heard in the form of the armed struggle. Lidda Struggle guided successive offense of armed struggles by Palestinian fighters, and PLO has been recognized its official status in the UN after October War in 1973.
Now the armed struggle against the invasion and occupation by Israel in the Southern Lebanon which has been fought thoroughly for years have forced Israel finally to withdraw its military forces unilaterally. Armed struggle cannot achieve the victory without support and assistance from the people. And the armed struggle can only realize the desire of the people when combined with various fronts of the people such as expanding public and legal activities and works for public awareness as well as political negotiations.
After the arrest of our five comrades including Kozo Okamoto in Beirut, many Lebanese and Palestinian friends, liberation organizations and lawyers as well as parliament members, gathered around "the Supporting Committee of Com. Kozo Okamoto and Friends" to support so-called "Beirut-Five". Their continued support activities including the defense statement by 250 lawyers and the erection of the tombstone for two martyrs of Lidda struggle, Basem Okudaira and Saleh Yasuda, have greatly encouraged not only 5 comrades but also other comrades, friends and families in Japan. And they finally achieved the success in realizing the political asylum to Lebanon, counterattacking against "terrorist" campaign by imperialists and Zionist. We learned again the importance of sustaining popular support in various form of international solidarity which enclose the various characters in both Japanese political struggle and Arab national liberation struggle.
4. Let's organize the united action in solidarity to fight against the new conspiracy of enemies.
Now, the role of Israel is becoming clear as the key player for the globalist control by multinational monopoly in the Middle East. And we are in the last year of the 20th century when the US intention to establish the world order collides with the opposition forces against it.
In the Middle East, since the collapse of socialist countries in Soviet Union / East Europe and the Gulf War, there had been going on the offensive reformation towards the rule by global capitalism headed by the United States. The basic character of the US military control, the top priority on the military superiority and the benefit for Israel in order to integrate the whole Middle East region. Israel holds key position of military rule (by nuclear armament and early-warning missile system) and also aims at information / communication - technology (brain) state to control the Middle East market. The stability of the Middle East depends on the struggle to stop Israeli invasion policy and occupation by all means and to create the power and wisdom of the people to enforce Israel, who escaped from the table of peace talk, to accept the just and fair order. This struggle needs to be combined with the struggle against multinational monopoly.
The anti-WTO struggle in Seattle last year marked major turning point of popular struggle against globalization. This struggle has not only united movements for various issues such as ecology, human rights, feminism, racism, and labor, so on into one, but also united peoples and the states of the "south" to prevent "major industrialized countries" (imperialist countries) from resolution as they wanted in the Ministerial Meeting. This year we recognize the growing move of southern countries to demand the reform and fairness of international order. At the summit of G77 in Habana, they declared as epoch-making statement to call the creation of "new global human order to stop the enlargement of unbalance through development under fair rule, rooting out the poverty, enlargement of employment, equality of gender, social integrity".
Those movements to oppose the strong control by the global monopolies are growing in each level as international, national, and popular field. There exists contradiction, conflicts and other problems, but the key point is whether we can turn it into a chance to form a new unity through solidarity-based solution.
We will continue our fights to support all the Arab struggle against occupation, combining them with these new stream of international solidarity.
5. We shall advance hand in hand, for solidarity beyond borders, toward the new century for peoples.
In July, 2000, the G7 Summit will be held in Okinawa Island, where the world largest US overseas military base is located, under extremely high security measures as if in the state of emergency . Current Japanese regime is aiming at a seat in UN Security Council, dispatching its army to abroad under the name of "international contribution", strengthening its strategic alliance with US, expanding its role as the "top leader" of Asia, while taking the negative position to the demands of debt cancellation by African countries. It is playing the similar role in Asia-Pacific region as Israel does in the Middle-East.
In the 21st century, what role is Japan expected to play in the international level ? Japan can be one of the most valuable countries to realize the peace in the world with justice. That is the best and only one international contribution based on the Article 9 of Japanese Constitution, "renunciation of war and arms as the means to solve the conflict". It means to conclude Peace and Friendship Treaty with all the countries, which Japan invaded in the past on the bases of apology and compensation to personals and countries who received damages from the Japanese military invasion, to advance nuclear-free Asia, abrogating the Japan-US Security Treaty at first. It would stop the US war policy and Japan would contribute the world by peace and environmental protection, not depending on the military alliance.
As long as Japanese government sticks to "cold-war minded" policy and do not care these issues, we ourselves should seek peace with justice through the broad solidarity of peoples, uniting the wisdom and power of the people and activating the international intercourse. It is also the way to continue our struggle of solidarity beyond the borders to unite ourselves with the struggles of the Lebanese people, who are suffering from the Israeli air-raid today again, and those Arab people, who suffer from Israeli occupation of their land.
All the peoples, comrades and friends in Lebanon, Arab countries and all over the world, and also in Japan !!
Now it's time for us to start new struggle toward a century from now on. We will advance together beyond the borders toward the new century of the peoples solidarity around the world.
Young friends in Beirut, we sincerely appreciate your impressive support action for our comrades. You had launched actions, sit-ins and hunger strikes in front of the Interior Ministry in the cold rain in March, demanding the acceptance of political asylum of all 5 comrades of us. We will never forget this. All the people who have extended over or covert struggle to us, we send many thanks. We have been largely encouraged and renewed our determination for responsibility by your various support and solidarity action shown in the 97.8 % support for the political asylum of five comrades in the opinion poll by TV and 40,000 signatures to demand they asylum in Lebanon and also warm support for our comrades in Japan.
Comrades in prison, all the friends who have extended support overtly or covertly, our families, and all the peoples who keep fighting in Japan, in Middle East and all over the world let's fight together hand in hand, uniting people's wisdom and power in the solidarity beyond the border, to create the new century of humanity.
Japanese Only...