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News Archive |
LAST UPDATE
July 11, 2005
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| December 16, 2003 |
Emergency NGO Statement against the Dispatch of the Self Defense Force |
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Although still mourning the loss of the two Japanese diplomats recently killed in Iraq, the Japanese Government continues to support the US-UK led military occupation that is generating hatred amongst Iraqi civilians and has become a target for attacks. This course of action substantially increases the risk of attack by terrorist or armed groups not only to Japanese government officials, but also to civilians.
Inevitably, the dispatch of Japan's Self Defense Force will heighten this risk and will expose to it the lives of NGO workers and volunteers from Japan who engage in reconstruction support. Furthermore, it will devastate the NGOs' collective efforts to aid Iraq's reconstruction.
In this situation, we, Peace Boat, demand that the Japanese Government take the following action:
- Reverse the decision to send the Self Defense Force to Iraq, and establish and carry out a plan to dispatch non-military personnel in support of reconstruction.
- Discontinue support for the occupation led by the US-UK coalition, and start diplomatic efforts to establish a UN-led support structure for Iraq's recovery.
- Cooperate with, and support NGOs in reconstructing Iraq.
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