 JCP issues statement on 59th anniversary of war's end Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi in a published statement on August 15, the 59th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, stated as follows: We mourn for all those who fell victim to Japan's war of aggression that ended 59 years ago. Learning from history, the JCP is determined to do its utmost to establish rules for peace in Asia and the rest of the world so that there will be no more victims of wars of aggression. We observe the 59th anniversary of the war's end as the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for the first time are taking part in a multinational force using force. Worse still, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution which embodies the commitment the Japanese people made to peace based on the horrors of war is facing a real crisis. Both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan have publicly promised to draft a constitutional amendment in a year or two. The Komei Party is also planning to keep up with these moves to draft a constitutional amendment. Advocates of constitutional revision are focusing on establishing in the Constitution the right of collective self-defense that has nothing to do with Japan's self-defense. As Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro proclaimed, the revision is designed to allow Japan to use force abroad in joint actions with U.S. forces. The wars which the United States have so far carried out are wars of aggression, including against Iraq, in which the United States in clear violation of U.N. rules for peace preemptively attacks a country to overthrow a regime that it dislikes. Changing Article 9 means Japan opting for the path of assisting in wars of aggression. This must not happen under any circumstances. Constitutional change is only possible if the majority of the Japanese people support it. Today, a majority of the people are opposed to the adverse revision of Article 9. This is why pro-revision forces are inventing this or that pretext in order to cover up their true aim, which is to make Japan a partner in U.S. wars. A realistic view of the situation concerning constitutional revision shows us that the surest way of winning victory in the struggle over the issue is to heighten public awareness and movements in opposition to an adverse revision of Article 9. (end) |