Release All “Hostages” !
 --To WRI Comrades

Here in Japan, various anti-war groups take to the streets and protest every day. More than thousand people gather around the official residence of the prime minister and bring pressure to realize immediate withdrawal of Self-Defense Force. Compelling anger moves us in demonstrations of every weekend.

Though for a long period, we seemed to stop our visible organized activities, we have participated in anti-war activities in Tokyo and Nagoya. We do not stop participating in such activities.

We would like to show our solidarity to all of comrades who fight against warfare and send our small voices.

Now armed groups in Iraq abduct people from all over the world who went there. Three Japanese people have not been released yet. These abducted people went to Iraq to support Iraqi common people not the war.

Yesterday a TV program showed a scene in which families of hostages, who feel so anxious because once announced release of hostages was not realized, were interviewed. They answered:

“We express our profound apology for causing so much trouble by them (hostages)....”

When we watched their deep bow, we felt great pain.

It should not be the families to bow and express apology. It should be our government.

Japanese government caused such state of affairs. If it does not follow U.S. hegemonism and did not dispatch the Self-Defense Force to Iraq, this sort of thing would not have happened. The Prime Minister Koizumi should promise the withdrawal of SDF and apologize to three hostages and their families.

However, Koizumi reject to meet their families, declare immediately no SDF withdrawal. He met an U.S. warmonger, Cheney and express again that there is no line to pull SDF out of Iraq. Japanese government breaks the law shaped by it. Repeating amendments and farfetched arguments, it makes Air SDF to transport U.S. soldiers and still keep up lying it is a “humanitarian support.”

Why on the earth is it a humanitarian support by helping Army of sweeping Iraqis with fire?

Japanese government and its Prime Minister Koizumi do not want to support Iraqi people. First of all, they never see Iraq and Iraqi people. Neither Japan nor Japanese people. They only see Bush's mood. It is clear what SDF do is not a humanitarian support for Iraq, but a support for U.S. occupation of Iraq.

As for a humanitarian support, that is what those who are in hostage had done. They have associated Iraqi people directly and tried to find the way to live together. Beyond states and governments, they tried to do it by their own will. SDF has not helped Iraqi street children and pursued the issue of D.U. shell.

SDF even prevented their humanitarian support, and has no feeling to annoy Iraqi people and impair their dignity.

These days, while we have confronted with police force on the streets and voiced our anger at demonstrations, we have always cared for the fate of hostages and wanted to encourage their families.

But hostages are not only them, but also Iraqi people who were in a siege of U.S. Army and were going to be mowed down. Iraqi people are the hostage of the war.

We appeal to release all “Hostages”.

And call out:

Don't Kill Japanese people!!

Don't Kill Iraqi people!!

Don't Kill anybody!!

Withdraw Self-Defense Force, NOW!!

Stop Supporting Occupation!!

Withdraw Occupation Forces, NOW!!

Abolish Army!!

April 14th, 2004