Appeal to June 14 and 15 Rallies from detention
Appeal to June 14 and 15 Rallies from detention
ODA Yosuke, president of Zengakuren (All Japan Federation of Student Autonomous Bodies)
On March 14 three years ago, I was arrested for my protest action against the Hosei University administration that took away students’ notice boards quite abruptly and one-sidedly without any consultation. The same university administration that had asked the police to assault on protesting students three years ago, now delivered students to police for damaging university’s notice boards.
I call on you, all those students who want to live a genuine human life, to raise your angry voice against this brutal act of Hosei University administration. What was written on the notice board of the University administration that was allegedly damaged by protesting students? The university notice boards announced the prohibition of entrance into the campus of those students who were expelled from the university for their activity to demand freedom of speech on campus and also who could not afford to pay expensive university fees. Their names were published on the notice boards and exposed to general public.
This is a consequence of the policy of Hosei University administration that has deprived students of all the freedom of expression and the opportunity of education for years. It was published in the closing account in March that Hosei University lost 2,800 million Yen ($28 million) through money game. Could we allow it?
On April 24, 1500 students raised their voices to protest against the absurd situation of Hosei University. The university administration, in its desperate attempt to deny the reality, asked the police to arrest the organizers of April 24 rally, insisting that the students were manipulated by the protesting students. If the university administration resorts to such outrageous measures, we only have to break down this unbearable situation of Hosei University by our indignation.
We are now witnessing a violent drive for war. Aggressive war on North Korea is imminent. The US is facing serious crisis of capitalist system as is exposed by the global financial crisis. Not to mention, political rule of Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is almost collapsing. We must establish an accurate perception of the present situation that is in the midst of declining ruling system and precipitating toward inevitable war.
In the “Korean Crisis” in 1994, US government urged Japan to offer effective support to the US war, indicating 1000 points that included transportation of military goods, utilization of Japanese transport facilities, such as airports and harbors, by US forces, and medical cooperation in hospitals, etc. At that time, Japanese ruling class was not ready to accept US demand because of insufficient mobilization of labor unions to government’s side. Now the Japanese ruling class is rushing for an attempt of disorganizing labor unions to meet the demand of war mobilization. The bankruptcy of GM is explained as a result of unfavorable role of the labor union and is used as pretext of further union busting.
What should universities and students do in face of the present grave situation? The essential task of education should be, in my conviction, to open up a brilliant future and the history could be created through destroying traditional value and mindset. It is impermissible, therefore, that students suffer severe repression for their activity to demand freedom on campus and they be forced to engage themselves in military research and be mobilized into war.
Hosei University struggle is for getting back and strengthening unity of students for the creation of a new university and a new society. The issue of war and the issue of destruction of comradely relation with other students are one and the same. For us students who live together on campus, friends and colleagues are extremely precious. When we rise up for the struggle in unity, we can no doubt change the present situation. Let’s raise our angry voices!
