CONTACT US
contact us
address：Tokyo YWCA building Rm302, 1-8-11 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
101-0062 Japan
www.ywca.or.jp
email:
office-japan@ywca.or.jp
|
 |
|
|
 TOP 
|
No military, no violence in Somalia: YWCA of Japan calls to stop sending
military troops to Somalia (February 26, 2009)
 |
YWCA of Japan took the initiative to hold a meeting together with 9 other
women’s organizations for the dialogue with Diet Members on the theme of
“Standing up for Japanese Peace Constitution, Protecting Peace, Life, and
Good Living” in the lobby of the House of Representatives on Feb 20th,
2009. |
80 people, mostly women, joined the meeting and each host organization
gave speech addressing the issue of protecting and promoting Japanese Peace
Constitution particularly Article 9 forever renouncing war and all forms
of armament, Article 24 stating gender equality, and Article 25 securing
people’s rights of wholesome and cultured living, against the current world
trend of new military strategy in which key countries such as U.S. have
supremacy over other countries no matter what Constitutions they have and
regardless of local people’s rights of decision. Japan also is known to
be one of the top militarily powerful countries, but the existence of Article
9, and many NGOs and people’s peace actions have been the guard to minimize
its military operation. YWCA of Japan and women organizations raised voice
to the Japanese Government not to disregard and distort the Peace Constitution
but rather to promote its spirit.
“We need to stop the scheme of our Government to send the Self-Defense
Forces over off shore of Somalia on the pretext of countermeasures against
‘piracy’, because this move could draw the country into military operations
abroad prohibited by Article 9 of Japanese Constitution”, Mayako Ishii,
President of YWCA of Japan, addressed at the opening speech. In fact, Japan
has Maritime Safety Agency and there are questions from public why not
sending MSA only but including SDF to the operation.
Having SDF itself is already a violation of Article 9, but a new bill against
‘piracy’ currently under preparation by the government will enable SDF
to be dispatched all over the world at any time to do military operations
for international conflicts.
It has been said that ‘pirates’ in off shore of Somalia are professional
armed gangs, but it is still a roll of the maritime police (MSA) to deal
with them. “We, women, have ascertained that the military operations such
as air bombings of Afghanistan in the name of repulsing terrorism, only
bring death, suffering, sorrow to women, children, and all innocent people”
said Ishii.
It is Somalia, a land in the state of anarchy. It is quite predictable
that if the international community sends military forces there, the situation
would be even more chaotic in Somalia. It is also said that the world trend
of action against ‘piracy’ is just a mask of superpowers’ resource conflicts
over the land and sea.
“First of all, we should think about the needs of people of Somalia, not
about military. Our very consideration is whether the lives of women and
children are valued and secured in Somalia. As a nation having Article
9, Japanese international contribution should not be sending military over,
but pursuit for the causes of conflicts in and around Somalia, mediating
and supporting for their peaceful solutions, and giving economic and humanitarian
aids. We should also contribute to international community by promoting
the principle of individual rights to live in peace and working for its
realization throughout the world.” Ishii stated.
(February 26, 2009)
|
|
|
