A wave
of protest is brewing at home and abroad. According to the Association of
Scholars Opposed to the Security-related Bills (ASOSB), a large number of scholars
from over 100 universities both in Japan and overseas have released statements
against the government-sponsored security bills now under deliberation in the
Diet. One call to action was issued on August 27 by Keiko Yamanaka, a scholar
at University of California, Berkley, and some others based at UCB/UCD asking
for people in California was to join hands in protest against the bills. ASOSB
is calling for broader support and signatures on a petition available on their website.
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As scholars deeply concerned about Japan’s
constitutionalism and its future, we declare our strong opposition to the
so-called security-related bills that were passed by Japan’s Lower House on
July 16, 2015. Proposed by the Abe government, these so-called security-related
bills consist of 1) the International Peace Security Bill, and 2) the omnibus
Peace and Security Legislation Consolidation Bill that amends 10 war-related
laws. If passed by the Upper House this September, these bills would allow the
Japanese government to send Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to cooperate with
overseas military operations conducted by other countries. Many scholars of
constitutional law have pointed out that these security-related bills are
clearly in violation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. By joining the
efforts of the Association of Scholars Opposed to the Security-related Bills (http://anti-security-related-bill.jp/images/link_california.pdf), we not only
express our opposition to the Bills, but also urge other concerned scholars in
California to voice their views. Please note that we are a group of scholars
based in California who have chosen to express our opposition to the
Security-Related Bills in Japan as individuals (See the next page for the list
of signatories). The opinions expressed in this statement are those of the
individuals, and they do not represent the views of the organizations and/or
institutions of their affiliations. If you agree to sign this appeal, please
contact one of the following: • Keiko Yamanaka (keikoyamanaka7[at]gmail.com) •
Byung-Kwang Yoo (yoobk15[at]gmail.com) • Junko Habu (habujunko[at]gmail.com). In your
message, please include the following information.
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1. I
agree to publicize the following information about myself
(Please check one of
the boxes below):
[ ] Name, academic
discipline, title, department and university
[ ] Name only
[ ] None
2. Your
Name:
3.
Academic Discipline:
4.
Title:
5.
Department and University:
6. Date:
7.
Comments (Optional):
See also a feature article (Call for Support: Sign the
Appeal against the Security-Related Bills) on the W-WAN website.
Posted by Naoko Uchibori
