People's Democracy

THIS is a time when pro-imperialist media are busy propagating that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has lost its relevance in the new, post-Cold War situation, and when a sizeable number of people have undoubtedly been misled by this propaganda. Yet, precisely at such a time, the people of Japan are in increasing numbers veering round to the view that their country will have to turn to non-alignment if it is to have a bright future.

This was evident from the recent international symposium on the non-aligned movement held in Tokyo, the national capital, and the response it received from the politically advanced sections of the Japanese people. The two-day symposium held last month was in observation of the 40th anniversary of the first summit conference of the NAM (held in Belgrade in 1961), and was the first of its kind in the country. The most significant point about the symposium was that it was held in one of the most industrially advanced countries of the world, one that is a member of the G-7 and, moreover, that is tied to the US in a military pact since the end of the second world war.

The symposium caused a pleasant surprise to many people in the country and abroad, and many wanted to know why some organisations were holding such a symposium on the subject of non-alignment, in a country that is the world’s second biggest economic power and accounts for 15 per cent of the world economy. The surprise was a reflection of the fact that the NAM has no developed capitalist country as its official member.

The symposium was jointly organised by a number of trade unions and other democratic organisations in the country, including the Japan Committee for Asia-Africa-Latin America Solidarity. As many as 36 representatives of these organisations took part in the deliberations of the symposium. It was also attended by several eminent figures from abroad, like Rachadi Iskandar (former Indonesian ambassador to Japan), Pham Van Chuong (president of the Vietnam Committee for Afro-Asian-Latin American Solidarity and Cooperation), Julio A Muriente Perez (president of the New Independence Movement of Puerto Rico), Sugie Eiichi (professor emeritus at Chukyo University) and Dr Morad Ghalib (president of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organisation, AAPSO). Ogata Yasuo, director of the Japanese Communist Party’s International Bureau, played a leading role during the entire symposium.

As many as 18 serving diplomats from 15 embassies based in Tokyo attended the symposium.

Future development of the non-aligned movement, respect for national sovereignty, prospects of peace around the globe, solution to the problems of hunger and poverty, increasing gap between the rich and the poor in the era of globalisation, and the struggle for withdrawal of foreign military bases were some of the topics that were discussed at the symposium.

While Sugie Eiichi underlined the role of the NAM in challenging the unequal international order under the tutelage of big powers, Iskandar stressed the need for South-South cooperation against globalisation. Perez expressed gratitude to the NAM for its support to Puerto Rico’s independence and to its demand for withdrawal of military bases from the Island of Vieques.

Chuong from Vietnam underlined the importance of the right of all nations to self-determination and non-interference in the internal affairs of all countries. This was viewed as a highly significant point in view of the US attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Vietnam through the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Bill. The US House of Representatives had adopted this bill only a few days before the symposium was held. (See People’s Democracy, September 30 for the details of this bill.)

Quoting from the final declaration of the 12th NAM summit in 1998, Chuong said the NAM opposes any terrorist actions but also opposes any resort to unilateral measures against terrorism in violation of the UN charter. This was a very significant point made in the background of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. This was followed by the evolution of a consensus at the symposium that the post-September 11 situation must be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of the UN charter and international law.

All the Japanese participants of the symposium were unanimous in the view that Japan’s accession to the NAM will open up new prospects for the country by redefining its relations with the US, the Asian continent and the world as a whole. This will enable Japan to evolve a foreign policy of peace and social progress in accordance with the needs of the 21st century.

Presenting his party’s viewpoint at the symposium, Ogata Yasuo of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) said his party is against the LDP politics of "structuring Japan on US military basis." The JCP has also proposed the abrogation of Japan-US Security Treaty in order to get rid of this military alliance and the US bases in Japan, and that Japan should join the NAM as its full-fledged member. The JCP is the only political party in Japan to make this policy proposal; this proposal was made as early as in 1973, in the document "Democratic Coalition Government Programme" adopted by the 12th JCP congress.

Underlining the fact that the Japanese people have suffered a lot during the second world war and that Japan is so far the only unfortunate country to have been atom-bombed, the JCP leader highlighted the growing pro-peace sentiments in Japanese society. He said that if the country takes the course of non-alignment, its international influence and prestige would grow beyond all expectations, both politically and economically. Ogata Yasuo then added that Japan being a developed country, its participation in the NAM will also add to the universal validity and appeal of the non-alignment for all countries. It will be an epoch-making event and enable the NAM to reach newer dimensions.

Detailing the JCP’s interest in non-alignment through the decades and the talks its delegations held with leaders of Yugoslavia, Algeria, ASEAN and some other countries on the topic of non-alignment during the last three decades, Ogata Yasuo said the JCP is paying special attention to the next NAM summit that is to take place in Bangladesh in the coming spring, and wishes for its success. He said the principles and aims for the non-aligned movement --- like no involvement in military blocs, no foreign military bases, respect for the national sovereignty of each country, non-interference in one another’s internal affairs, peaceful resolution of all disputes and total elimination of nuclear weapons --- have proved right all along and exerted a big influence on the course of history. The JCP has high hopes that the new century will witness an increase in the significance of the NAM, and pledged to do its best to strengthen the movement by working for Japan’s accession to the non-aligned movement.