International Day Of Action To Defend Anti-War Japanese Teachers
Sep 25 2007 19:23
International Day Of Action To Defend Anti-War Japanese Teachers
All Out On Friday October 5, 2007 Stop Firings and Repression Of
Japanese Teachers Who Oppose War
OVER 1700 JAPANESE TEACHERS HAVE been punished and harassed for refusing to sing nationalist pro-war songs during graduation ceremonies throughout Japan's schools. In Tokyo alone, 388 teachers were subject to heavy punishment after 2004. The effort to censor education books about the war crimes of Japan imperial government is part and parcel of the effort to remililtarize the schools and eliminate Article 9 of the Japanese constitution
which prohibits war. October 5 is celebrated internationally
every year as World Teachers Day to defend teachers and oppose
attacks on education and teachers. On this October 5, 2007,
there will be delegations of teachers and community activists
from around the world who will go to Japanese consulates and
embassies to call for an end to the repression against Japanese
anti-war teachers, against censoring Japanese school books and
also against changing Article 9 of the Japanese constitution
which prohibits war.
The US government has also played a key role in encouraging Japan to send it's troops to the Middle East and also many US politicians go to Japan and urge it to militarize and ignore Article 9. In fact, former Japanese prime minister Nakasone who also privatized the railroads in order to break the militant rail unions in Japan said he wanted Japan to be a "aircraft carrier" for the United States. The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education under pressure from the racist and nationalist Tokyo governor Ishihara has moved toward firing teachers Ms NEZU Kimiko and Ms KAWARAI Junko for their anti-war activity unless people around the world stand up to this repression. This repression and militarization is a threat to
all people of the world and we urge educators, unionists, people
from all communities and anti-war activists to join us on
October 5, 2007.
San Francisco Picket and Delegation To Japanese Consulate Friday October 5, 2007 4:00 PM 50 Fremont St/Mission San Francisco
For information or to endorse please contact Committee To Defend
Japanese Anti-War Teachers (415)867-0628 lvpsf@labornet.org
Endorsed by AFT2121, San Franciso Labor Council, Doro-Chiba,
Transport Workers Solidarity Committee, Bob Mandel Member OEA Executive Board, Labor Video Project,Bay Area Labor Committee For Peace&Justice, Koreans Americans United For Peace KAUP, Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition
vpress.la.coocan.jp/
search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070717i1.html
search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070720a7.html
www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Japan-Forced-Suicide.html
Oct 9 2007 18:18
#2
Wasn't huge but the thought counts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0rnwQumCfU&mode=related&search=
Oct 9 2007 23:58
#3
sphinx, i noticed the same thing about how the appeal was worded. Most Americans I suspect regard monarchism as a harmless, mildly entertaining ritual that isn't any of our direct concern, so pitching it as an anti-war action might have been thought to have a broader appeal.
Oct 10 2007 15:19
#4
Which is of course so odd since America is one of the original anti-monarchist bourgeois republics.
Nevertheless, though small, it's nice that people came out. There is of course a direct connection with the struggle against patriotism in public schools in the US as well. So if anything maybe people can learn something from the 'sitdown' struggle of the Japanese teachers which has gone on for a couple years.
When I was working at a middle school here I attended the graduation ceremony quite nervous about the whole national anthem section. It was strange, you didn't know it was coming, all of a sudden they just told everyone to stand (as you have many times before throughout the ceremony) and this super creepy song starts playing. There were maybe two or three singing the thing and more than half of the people there looked massively uncomfortable and/or ashamed. Striking experience...
Oct 29 2007 19:42
#5
Missed this first time 'round. 1700 is a large number to be facing sanctions.
This is pretty goddamn cool. If people could support this it would be appreciated.
It should be noted that the national anthem is less 'pro-war' than it is 'pro-emperor', two things that are mostly intertwined but are important to understand on their own.