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News Archive |
LAST UPDATE
July 11, 2005
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| April 15, 2004 |
Emergency statement in regards to the Japanese hostage crisis in Iraq |
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Now is the time to learn from and reflect on the crisis
Tonight, we express our sincere gratitude to the Association of Muslim Scholars, and all the Iraqi people for the release of the three Japanese civilians, Noriaki Imai, Nahoko Takato and Soichiro Koriyama, who were taken hostage on April 8 in Iraq.
We deeply appreciate the efforts of the Association of Muslim Scholars: their sympathy of the Japanese hostages’ humanitarian work, and their repeated appeals to the hostage-takers, were instrumental in bringing about the release. Aljazeera’s consistent coverage of the voice of Japanese civil society was also critical in helping to secure the release.
The result is due in significant part to the committed efforts of non-governmental people working together in protest against the US-led occupying forces, and the dispatch of Japanese self defense forces (SDF) to Iraq. The immediacy in which Japanese civil society mobilized and used their international networks to urge the hostage takers to release the three captives is a testimony to the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy.
We believe this chain of events represents the true spirit of friendship and cooperation from our brothers and sisters in the Arab world, and for this we are truly thankful.
By contrast, the Koizumi administration’s handling of the hostage crisis was highly questionable. The Prime Minister jeopardized the safety of the hostages by declaring immediately that the SDF would not be repatriated; labeling the captors as “terrorists”; and loyally following the advice of the Bush government. Whether the Japanese government genuinely prioritized the lives of its own citizens - which it has a duty to protect, over its political alliance with the United States, is doubtful. Would the three hostages have been set free alive if the crisis were left solely to the Koizumi administration?
The past week’s events demonstrate that the role of non-governmental actors, and the networks developed across borders are beneficial for the future of international conflict resolution. Evidently, peaceful conflict resolution can be achieved through negotiation, dialogue and taking actions based on humanitarian intentions, rather than by threats and use of force.
The presence of Japan’s SDF has obstructed the invaluable contribution of civil society workers from supporting the reconstruction process. Instead, it has placed them in mortal danger.
Despite the resolution of this particular case, the crisis that has been created by the occupying forces in Iraq prevails. The intensity of the violence inflicted on the Iraqi people, including civilians, at the hands of the US-led forces has only increased. Such brutality, and in particular the slaughter in Falluja is unforgivable. We will not rest until the illegal occupation is over and the Iraqi people are released from their suffering.
We call on the Japanese government to:
- Withdraw the SDF from Iraq immediately and make efforts to end the US-led illegal occupation in Iraq.
- Work with local Iraqi and international NGOs, and the UN to support the people of Iraq through non-violent and humanitarian means, and always respect the wishes and needs of the Iraqi people.
- Always prioritize the basic, immeasurable value of human life over the Japan-US political alliance.
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