|
|
|
| |
| |
Press releases Archive |
LAST UPDATE
July 11, 2005
|
|
|
| May 15, 2003 |
Peace Boat calls on the Public to Participate in Campaigns
for Justice and Peace. No More Cluster Bombs! - Demonstration Stop Emergency Legislation!
Stop the militarisation of Japan. Japan Network for Bringing Fujimori to Justice |
|
| |
This weekend sees peace and human rights issues come to
the fore again across Japan with three major campaign actions being organised.
Protest actions are being organised against new amendments to the laws preventing Japan from
taking a combat role in international conflicts. The outcome would be to give Japan with the
fourth largest military budget in the world, the self-declared authority to weigh into international
conflicts in an offensive capacity if it perceives that it is in danger.
As a result of media scrutiny of the Japanese government's push toward the right to wage war,
it recently came to light that Japan is in possession of cluster bombs, whose indiscriminate
destruction has the potential to create instant minefields and continue to kill for generations
after the conflict has ended. A march is planned to call for their abolition.
Finally, civil society is ratcheting up the pressure on the Japanese government to extradite
former Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori to face trial for gross human rights violations in
his home country.
Peace Boat together with other leading peace groups will be organising demonstrations, peace
actions and speaking events together with press conferences to raise awareness and create momentum
for change. See below for details. |
|
|
No More Cluster Bombs! - Demonstration Saturday 17
May
Peace Boat, will lead a public demonstration this Saturday to oppose the Japanese Government's
possession of deadly cluster bombs. Take a stand against Japan's possession of cluster bombs
by coming to the streets and showing your condemnation for the Government's inhumane position.
Why Oppose Cluster Bombs?
- Designed to slaughter people over a wide area, when cluster bombs function properly they
are highly effective weapons of mass destruction.
- In addition to the devastating effects caused if they are dropped on the wrong target, cluster
bombs that fail to work properly also pose a deadly threat.
- Unexploded bomblets, or 'duds' are similar to land mines as they can explode and cause death
and injury to unsuspecting victims, including children.
- Cluster bombs break up into dozens of small bomblets. These soda-can sized munitions can
shower deadly shrapnel over an area the size of several football fields.
- Possession of these
inhumane weapons contravenes the spirit of the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Convention and
international opinion that seeks to abolish weapons causing indiscriminate slaughter.
Meet at 1pm to march from Mizutanibashi Park via Ginza intersection to Hibiya Park. |
| |
Stop Emergency Legislation!
Stop the militarisation of Japan. Demonstrations on 16 and 18 May
Join over a 30 peace groups to oppose the Koizumi administration's move towards the militarism
of Japan. The LDP Coalition Government seeks to pass the so-called Emergency Legislation (Yuji
Hosei), which would allow Japan's Self-Defence Forces to participate in joint military action.
In reality, this would mean lending support to US military policy and help establish the highly
controversial notion of the right to collective self-defence.
If approved by Parliament in the coming weeks, this new law will pose a serious threat to peace
in Asia including the Korean peninsula. By seeking to strengthen Japanese military force, the
Koizumi government is empowering Japan's potential role in international conflict in a manner
unprecedented since World War II. On Friday 16 May
An Appeal to Parliament Demonstration will take place.
Meet at Seiryo Kaikan (Walk from Exit 6 Nagatacho subway station) from 6pm.
The march will depart at 7pm.
The route is from Seiryo Kaikan to House of Representatives Building to Senate Building to
Shimbashi and finish at Hibiya Park.
On Sunday 18 May
A
Costume Demonstration opposing the Emergency Legislation will take place.
If there were a war, who would be called up? Join in the protest march dressed as a soldier,
nurse, construction worker, engineer to demonstrate the wide range of civilian people who
may be impacted by the LDP Government's move towards militarism.
Meet at Miyashita Park (5 min. walk from Shibuya station) from 1:30pm.
The march will depart at 2pm.
The route is from Miyashita Park down Aoyama Dori to Harajuku Station to Shibuya Station
and return to Miyashita Park.
|
| |
Japan Network for Bringing Fujimori to Justice
A coalition of NGOs in Japan is pressuring the Japanese Government to extradite former Peruvian
President Alberto Fujimori back to Peru to face charges of human rights violations. Two events
led by Jose Ugaz, from Peruvian NGO 'Proetica' will take place 16 and 19 May.
Affiliated by: Amnesty International Japan, RESODEP, Peace Boat Peru Campaign, Human Rights
and Justice in Peru (Kansai group).
Presentation for general public (Spanish and Japanese):
Friday, May 16th, 6:30 - 8:30pm (doors open 6:15pm), Tokyo Voluntary Action Center Conference Room
B (Tokyo Shimin Katsudou Center)
JR Soubu-line: Iidabashi Stn: West Exit
Subway Tozai, Nanboku or Yurakucho-lines: Iidabashi Stn: B2b Exit
Press Conference for Media, general public welcome too! (English and Japanese):
Monday, May 19th, 3:15 - 4:45pm (doors open 3pm), Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
JR and Subway: Hibiya Stn: A3 Exit
For more information please contact Amnesty International Japan: 03-3518-6777
or fujimori@to-sen.net
|
| |
|
|
|
