HEADQUARTERS
SCIENTISTS’ FORUM AGAINST A & H BOMBS HELD IN YOKOHAMA
The 2006 scientists’ forum under the theme “Let’s popularize the Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, and realize the world peace and nuclear annihilation”, which linked to the World Conference against A and H Bombs that was held under the theme “A Nuclear Weapon-Free, Peaceful and Just World” in Hiroshima and Nagasaki from August 2 to 9, was held on August 1 in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where the organizing committee gave the following points for discussion: 1) to make clear the true road for eliminating all the nuclear weapons, 2) to understand the nuclear sufferers’ situation, and 3) to propose a movement for nuclear elimination and the world peace construction.
In the morning session, Mr. Amaki (ex-ambassador to Lebanon) gave a seminar on the title ”The US military base realignment and Japanese diplomacy”, which was followed by an overseas representative’s lecture ”The current crisis, preventing nuclear war, and overcoming AMPO”. In the afternoon session, there were four reports: 1) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the US’s nuclear strategy (Dr. Nakajima, Chuo Univ., ret.), 2) the US military base’s realignment and Okinawa Prefecture (Prof. Kameyama, Ryukyu Univ.), 3) ventriloquial talk about the nuclear-bombed experience (Ms. Harukaze (Hibaku-sha [A-bomb victim] in Kanagawa), and 4) lawsuit for recognizing A-bomb victims’ symptoms (Mr. Miyahara, lawyer), which was followed by a synthetic discussion. After adopting a resolution, Dr. Konno (Yokohama Univ., ret.) made a closing remark.
8.15 FORUM FOR PEACE CONSTRUCTION ORGANIZED IN TOKYO
The research committee for peace question organized the above forum on August 15, where they discussed about what the Yasukuni-shrine’s view of history is, which was followed by providing eyewitness evidence of the Pacific War: 1) what has done Japanese army? – Japanese army’s crimes, 2) the Pacific War and the public suffered in the country, and 3) what have thought the families of the war-dead? Afterwards, Prof. Kaneko (Rissho Univ.) commented on a lesson from the last war and real value of the Constitution of Japan, and then a synthetic discussion was made.
28TH SETO-UCHI SYMPOSIUM HELD IN IE-SHIMA ISLAND, HYOGO PREFECTURE
The Seto-uchi (Seto Naikai or Seto Inland Sea) committee has organized a series of symposia since 1972 to find out a way of sustainable development in the Seto-uchi area, which has cooperatively operated with citizens belonging to the peoples’ alliance for protecting the Seto-uchi’s environment.
The committee and the peoples’ alliance jointly held the 28th symposium on August 19 and 20 in Ie-shima Island (in the Sea of Harima) offshore Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. On the first day, Prof. Isobe (Nihon Fukushi Univ.) gave a commemorative lecture entitled “The present situation of exhausted islands in Seto-uchi and their resuscitation”, which was followed by three reports regarding to typical islands’ life (Ie-shima [Hyogo Prefecture], Te-shima [Kagawa], and Kami-shima [Ehime], respectively). On the second day, there were three scientific sessions: 1) islands’ life (isolated island transportation, dust-dumping spot, natural resources, etc.), 2) reclamation problems (landfills for dust and waste, airports, Seto-uchi law and environment, etc.), and 3) poster session.(landfill and environmental pollutions, Int’l symposium for the closed sea in France). After the synthetic discussion, adopted was the Ie-shima declaration to make clear the root cause of Seto-uchi’s environmental disorder and to construct the true way for sustainable development in Seto-uchi.
ENERGY PROBLEMS COMPREHENSIVELY DISCUSSED IN TOKYO
The research committee of energy and nuclear power problems held a study meeting under the theme “Nuclear power and earthquake, and plu-thermal” on August 19 and 20 in Tokyo. On the first day, Prof. Tateishi (Niigata Univ.) gave a seminar on a new guideline for earthquake-resistant buildings’ design, which was followed by many discussions. On the second day, the discussion related to “plu-thermal (a method of extracting plutonium in a reactor)” were comprehensively made in regard to the problems to be solved (handling method, safety, toxic nature, social influence, international issue of plutonium, Rokka-sho’s facility for extraction and reproduction in Aomori Prefecture, etc.). The scientific session was managed in the form of Q and A in the presence of all the participants.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN JULY AND AUGUST
1. ISHIKAWA BRANCH
The branch organized a forum for the Constitution of Japan on July 28 at Kanazawa University, where Prof. Okada (Waseda Univ.) gave a lecture under the title “The Japan’s and Germany’s history of the Constitution, and the issue for revising the Constitution of Japan”, which was followed by a get-together meeting to exchange their views.
2. TOKYO BRANCH
1) The chapter of Hitotsu-bashi University graduate student held a summer seminar on August 24, where Mr. Sato (economics graduate student) gave a report on the pollution with dioxin and its related compounds, and Mr. Okada (juristic graduate student) made a discussion on safety, violence and the Constitution of Japan.
2) The 24th peace seminar was held on August 25, where Prof. Kaneko (Rissho Univ.) gave a seminar on the national referendum law (part 2) that is discussed in the present Diet session.
DO NOT STEP INTO DANGEROUS PATH
The North Korean missile-launch on July 5 is in violation of international law and agreements, and threatens the peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Anyway firing missiles or rockets into the high seas without prior notification endangers the navigation of aircrafts and ships, and contravenes international law, such as the acts that reneges on the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the International Maritime Organization Convention to which North Korea is a party.
It is problematic that following the ballistic missile launches by North Korea, Defense Agency Director General Nukaga and some other ministers made stupid remarks, suggesting that Japan should have the capability to attack enemy missile bases. Nukaga said, “It stands to reason that Japan should maintain the capability to attack foreign missile bases.” It was warmly echoed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe who also said, “We need to consider and study the idea.” They are thus calling for Japan to be armed with offensive arms to fire missiles preemptively at foreign bases. At a time when various countries were trying to make efforts to resolve the issue of North Korean missile firings, these ministers were just calling for a military buildup in response to this “affair”. This goes against the world effort, and makes it more difficult to solve the missile launch issue.
In 1956, Prime Minister Hatoyama stated, “It is legally possible for Japan to strike a foreign guided missile base within the framework of the right to self-defense if it has no other way to defend itself.” Though this has been accepted as a legal argument, the recent ministers’ remarks called for Japan to really and actually gain the capability to attack enemy missile bases. The call for a strike against enemy missile bases is intended to allow Japan to launch an attack even though it has not been attacked. It is nothing other than the concept of preemptive attack. If Japan is to have capability to attack enemy missile bases, Japan will obtain offensive arms, including long-range cruise missiles, to be used to attack foreign countries preemptively. This is an argument that completely overrides the stated “exclusively defensive defense policy” in the provision of the Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan.
We should note that the recent anachronistic stance on transforming the Japan-US military alliance into a more aggressive one through increasing military cooperation constitutes a new threat not only to Asia but also to others. If Japan has the capability to attack enemy missile bases and launch preemptive attacks in the name of self-defense, it will just lead to counter-attacks from other countries and add fuel to an endless arms race. It is the time that we must protect our war-renouncing Constitution and must not vindicate any intention to commit to an arms’ race, which will increase military tensions in Asia. Also, we must ask the government not to utilize the present affair of North Korean missile launching for the pretext of adversely revising the Constitution. (S. YUASA)