We oppose revision of Japanese constitution

"We oppose the total revision of the Japanese constitution in progress by the current Japanese government."

The Japanese government and the parties in power are revising the Japanese constitution, under the slogan: "release Japan from its political regime of the post-war period". In fact, their intention is to remove the constitutional constraints imposed upon the political and administrative power of the State. Indeed, their plan of this "regime change" is hidden in the draft of the "new constitution" published by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 28, 2005.

The reasons why we are against the regime change are as follows:

First, it reserves the fundamental human rights and civil freedom on the pretext of the priority to "the public interest", a reduction or a substantial suspension of the pacifist principle and a relaxing or a substantial abrogation of the principle of the separation of the religion and the politics. This means an anti-democratic change of the fundamental lines of the Japanese constitution which has its three principles: "popular sovereignty", "pacifism" and "the respect of the fundamental human rights".

Second, article 96 of the current Japanese constitution stipulates the reform of the current constitution which is rigid will be modified too, so that the government can revise the constitution by own initiative and a parliamentary vote, without any procedure of validation by the Japanese people, in a right and equitable way. With such a change of this article, the Japanese constitution will lose its rigid character substantially and the government will have the power to change this constitution, even its fundamental lines, any time and in any way, to suit the government's own convenience, regardless of the intentions of the the Japanese people.

These two points make us believe that this constitutional revision under the slogan: "release Japan from its political regime of the post-war period", will not be limited only to a partial modification of some articles but that it will be also a full-scale revision of all the constitution. In other words, we think that this constitutional revision is an announcement of an antidemocratic change in Japan. If such a constitutional revision as the government and the parties currently in power imagine they carriy this out, The constitution of Japan will be something completely different, with its democratic principles and its constitutional characteristic weakened.

"We oppose the "bill on the procedures of constitutional reform (the law on the referendum)" that the Japanese government and the parties currently in power aim at adopting, for the following reasons: "

From the very beginning, the purpose of the constitution should be to guarantee the right to control. The power of the State to the people. Precisely, the procedures of constitutional reform should be right, equitable, clear, transparent, conform to the fundamental principles of the democracy which are popular with the people, and respect for the fundamental human rights. Firstly, for this objective, it is necessary for the referendum in the procedures of constitutional reform, reflect public opinion as exactly as possible. Secondly, it is necessary for the people to have a free access to as varied political opinions as possible, for an apt decision on behalf of the people. Thirdly, it is necessary for free and equitable popular movements for the referendum to be assured, so that wide and thorough popular discussions might be possible. From this point of view, the bill currently proposed by the government and the parties currently in power does not seem to satisfy the conditions of a right, equitable, clear and transparent referendum, mentioned previously. The reasons are as follows:

1. The bill on the referendum (bill on the procedures of constitutional reform) does not stipulate the minimum rate of participation so that the referendum is valid. For example, only voices of 20% of the voters will be able to approve a reform of articles. (Thus, the constitutional and democratic principles of the constitution could be easily modified.)

2. In this bill on the referendum, limitations with some sanctions might be an obstacle to the freedom of opinion and sanctions are likely to be applied arbitrarily by the government. (These sanctions and these limitations could be disadvantageous only to people defending the constitution in force.)

3. Equity for the people to make a deliberate judgment on proposed projects of constitutional reforms is not assured in terms of public relations. (As the number of participants in the council for public relations for the referendum and publicities paid by the public money will be allotted almost purely proportionally to the number of the seats at the Parliament, the political parties which have more seats will have unilaterally disproportionate advantages. Moreover, unbounded paying publicities will favor unilaterally fortunate parties.)

4. The period from the proposal of the project of constitutional reform at the Parliament until the referendum is too short. (It is not sure that the people can make an informed judgment.)

5. The mode of the poll on the referendum is ambiguous. (An arbitrary leading by grouping of articles on the vote should be avoided and each voter should make judgments article by article. But these points are not clearly defined in the bill suggested by the government and the parties currently in power.)

"We oppose any antidemocratic regime change by the current Japanese government and we ask for a development and a concretization of the democratic principles of the Japanese constitution in force."

We oppose any regime change which the current Japanese government is aiming at and which will permit Japan to make war without reserve by the intention of the political parties in power and that of the leaders of the government.

We want to prevent Japan by all means from transforming itself back into an antidemocratic or anti-constitutional country.

We aspire to the development of democratic principles, which are popular with the Japanese people. Pacifism and respect for fundamental human rights, the concretization of values of the present Japanese constitution.

We want to share the fruits of peace and democracy in Japan, with all peoples of the world.

We believe that this is also the will of the peoples of the world who aspires to freedom and peace, wishing to defend and develop democracy.

The LDP currently in power announced their will of a "regime change" and now that they are about to start constitutional reform (the law on the referendum), there is not much time left to resist it.

We address this message to the whole world, hoping that our will holds well in the face of the judgment of history. We also hope that our actions will open a way which will bring all the international community to the next stage towards peace. We sincerely ask all the people of the world of good will to unite in front of our project, in their respective countries, their respective communities and their respective places of everyday life, to win peace and democracy for our country and of course, those of the world together.

May 3rd, 2007

村野瀬玲奈さんが提起されカナダde日本語が広めている海外に憲法改定反対世論を広めようという運動に賛同するものです。

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以下文章の訳です。

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『憲法改定反対』理由：

１．「国民主権」・「平和主義」・「基本的人権の尊重」という三大原則をかかげる日本国憲法の根幹に反民主主義的な改変を加えるものである。

２．現憲法の改定に関して定められた条文「第九十六条」の改定が行われれば、日本国憲法は硬性憲法の性格を実質的に失い、主権者である国民の意思と無関係に、政権側の都合でいつでもどのようにでも憲法を、その根幹すら変えることができるようになる。

つまり、現政府与党のもくろむ改憲とは、「主権者である国民が国家に命令する」立憲主義を否定し、「国家が一方的に国民に命令する」ことを可能にするための全面的改憲である。

『憲法改定手続法案（国民投票法案）』反対理由：

1.　本国民投票法案には最低投票率の規定が設けられておらず、有権者の二割程度の賛成票だけでも条文の改定が可能である。（憲法の基本原則、民主的・立憲的根幹が簡単に変更されてしまう内容である。）

2.　国民投票において、投票運動での自由な言論活動に罰則とともに設けられている制限があり、罰則の適用が恣意的になされる危険性を排除できない。（その罰則・制限が、現憲法を擁護する立場の者にとってのみ不利にはたらくと考えられる。）

3.　国民が改憲案についての賛否を判断するための広報の公平性が保証されないこと。（国民投票広報協議会に参加できる人員、及び公費で賄われる広報が国会の議席数に応じて割り振られるため、多数の議席を占める政党が一方的に有利になる。また、制限なしの有料広告は財力のある側だけに一方的に有利になる。）

4.　憲法改定についての国会の発議から国民投票までの期間が短い。（国民が的確に意思決定できる可能性が低い。）

5.　国民投票における、賛否を問うための投票方式があいまいになっている。（抱き合わせによる恣意的な誘導を避けるため、個別の条文ごとに賛否の意思表示ができる投票方式にするべきだが、その点があいまいである。）

『憲法改正を阻止するために私達がやるべきこと』

現日本政府がめざす体制変革（レジームチェンジ）によって、日本が与党や行政指揮者の意向によって何の留保もなく戦争のできる国にされてしまうことに反対する。

日本が非民主主義的あるいは立憲主義を否定する国に変えられてしまうことをなんとしても食い止める。

日本が国民主権、平和主義、基本的人権の尊重という現行憲法の原理を発展させ、具体化させることを求めていく。

日本の平和と民主主義の恩恵を世界中の人々と共有することを望み、それが自由と平和を愛し民主主義の擁護・拡大を望む世界の諸国民の願いでもあると信じる。

日本の政府与党である自民党が、「体制変革（レジームチェンジ）」の意思を公言して憲法改定手続法をスタートさせようとしている今、残された時間は多くない。

この意思が歴史の審判に耐えうるものであることを祈念しながら、このメッセージを世界中に送りたい。そしてこのアクションが、国際社会全体を次のステージへと導く「平和への道」を切り開くことを願っている。心ある世界市民が、私たちの日本と、そして全世界の平和と民主主義を勝ちえるためのこのプロジェクトに、それぞれの国で、その地域社会で、その生活の場で連帯してくださることを心からお願いしたい。

２００７年５月３日

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