Let's make Akahata Festival a forum for Japanese people's reasoned opinion
-- Akahata editorial, October 14, 2001

The 37th Akahata Festival of the Japanese Communist Party, the first in three years, will be held from November 2-4 at Yumenoshima Park in Tokyo.

The Akahata Festival was first held in 1959 and has been marked by important political themes of the time for Japan and the world. It has been an assembly which shows the nation and the world the Japanese people's high level of political consciousness.

End terrorism

In the first Akahata Festival we delivered a clear message that the Japanese people were against the planned 1960 revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty which would drag Japan into U.S. wars.

Every Akahata Festival has since been an occasion to appeal to the
conscience of the Japanese people showing the course for Japan to follow in
connection with important political issues such as opposition to the U.S.
war of aggression against Vietnam, the return to Japan of the administrative
rights over Okinawa, progressive change of politics, and efforts to overcome
the economic recession. Thus, the Akahata Festival has served as a
springboard for popular movements to grow and for the JCP to make advances.

The 37th Akahata Festival will be held amid the U.S. military attacks on
Afghanistan in its retaliatory war against the terrorist attacks. Its major
theme will be what the world should do to end terrorism and what role Japan
with the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 should take.

The JCP denounces the massive terrorist attacks on the United States. To
end terrorism, the JCP calls for justice to be brought to the perpetrators
through the concerted actions of the international community led by the
United Nations, instead of rushing to military retaliation which will start
a further cycle of terrorism and retaliation.

U.S.-led military strikes have destroyed an NGO office for U.N.
humanitarian aid work and caused many civilian casualties.

The U.S. has referred to the possibility of expanding its attacks beyond
Afghanistan.

Escalation of the war causing more casualties will widen cracks in
international opinion which has so far been unanimous in working to end
terrorism. It will only benefit the terrorists who are attempting to launch
further subversive activities. It is now more necessary than ever to change
the course from military attacks and war escalation by a few countries to
U.N.-led efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The JCP is opposed to the Koizumi Cabinet's bill that would allow
Self-Defense Forces units to take part in a retaliatory war, because it is
unconstitutional.

If we can rally public opinion and the movement in this direction and win
a large number of participants to the Akahata Festival, it will be a
powerful message to the world that "Japan's conscience is present."

Political programs will give opportunities for participants to think
about contemporary Japan and the rest of the world. JCP Executive Committee
Chair Shii Kazuo's commemorative speech (Nov. 3), Secretariat Head Ichida
Tadayoshi's "Question and Answer" (Nov. 4), and "Discussion with JCP Central
Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo" (Nov. 4) will deal with a variety of problems
ranging from corporate restructuring, to massive unemployment, serious
recession causing the public to spend less, and the adverse revision of
medical care systems.

Many cultural programs with well known singers and other artists in Japan
will engage the audience. There will be "A Dream Festa 2001," a new program
for young participants, and familiar exhibitions and events, including an
open-air traditional comic theater, stands for local specialties from all
over the country, a children's square, and a sports corner.

Join us in the festival!

The Akahata festival is a new type of festival in that every participant
takes part, and is a major site that provides participants information about
the JCP.

Let's talk and enjoy ourselves under a blue sky at the Akahata Festival.
The Organizing Committee, which prepared for the Festival sincerely hopes
that every participant will renew friendships and solidarity with each
other, so they can energize themselves to work for a better future.

It is important to call on as many people as possible to come and join us
in the 37th Akahata Festival and make a great success of a meaningful
assembly that will help peace and reason prevail in Japan as well as
throughout world. (end)