Appeal for Japanese Civilians in Iraq

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They Are Not Enemies of the Iraqi People! Don’t Kill Them!

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Yesterday three Japanese were kidnapped on the way to Baghdad by one religious brigade. The brigade sent a letter demanding the Japanese government to withdraw the Self-Defense Forces, or Japanese Army from Iraq within three days and telling that they would kill them in the same way as Americans in Falluja if the Japanese government wouldn't accept it.

Three Japanese were going to Baghdad to support Iraqi people. Naoko Takato at 34 is a NGO activist of medical care. She is particularly involved in street children who lost parents because of American bombing.

Soichiro Kooriyama at 32 is a photo-journalist who often sends us information and photos with message showing tragedy of war and occupation to stop them.

Noriaki Imai at 18 is a young peace activist. He has just graduated from the high school. He lives in Hokkaido near the big base of the SDF which plays a key role in Japanese dispatched forces in Iraq. He joined the International Joint Demonstration on March 20 to stop occupation and pull out all allied forces from Iraq.

Now the Japanese government says that it would never pull out the SDF and continue to stay in Iraq, ignoring many pleas from ordinary Japanese asking the government to help them and make the SDF leave Iraq immediately.

We are now sending the Japanese government, Prime Minister, as many politicians and media as possible a message demanding the Gvt to help them and withdraw the SDF at once. We are now rallying in front of the Parliament. There are many persons marching around the Parliament.

NEVER KILL THEM!

THEY ARE FRIENDS OF US WHO LOVE PEACE AND CALL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN IRAQ AND ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Yours,
Yoko Akimoto
Secretariat, ATTAC Japan