Prot.SC-JP 15-02
2015年9月19日
内閣総理大臣 安倍晋三 様
参議院議長 山崎正昭 様
日本カトリック正義と平和協議会会長
勝谷太治司教
抗議声明
日本カトリック正義と平和協議会は、本日２０１５年９月１９日、参議院本会議における安全保障関連法の強行採決に厳重に抗議し、法律の廃止を求めます。
この度のわたしたちの抗議の趣旨は、以下のように、7月15日、衆議院 平和安全法制特別委員会強行採決に際して発表した声明と同様です。
集団的自衛権の行使容認は、国際的緊張とテロ発生の危険を一層高め、軍拡競争への道を開き、政府の恣意的な判断による海外での武力行使に道を開くものです。抑止力の強化が平和への道とは、私たちは考えません。
集団的自衛権の行使容認は、国内のほぼすべての憲法学者、日本弁護士連合会が認める通り、明らかな憲法違反です。憲法違反の法律は無効です。憲法を無視して集団的自衛権の行使を実現するこの法律は、立憲主義という国家の枠組みを破壊するものです。
さらには、国際的緊張を高めて敵愾心を煽り、人を戦争へと駆り立て、独裁社会への道をつくるものです。
加えてわたしたちは、繰り返される強行採決という暴挙に、遺憾の意を禁じ得ません。集団的自衛権の行使を容認する昨年2014年７月１日の閣議決定に基づく安全保障関連法案の国会提出（５月15日）以来、多くの識者が憲法違反とテロの危険増大を指摘するなか、政府側は法案に関する不明瞭な説明を繰り返すのみでした。審議の発展は全く見られず、かえって法案の無理筋は明白になるばかりのまま、衆議院 平和安全法制特別委員会（7月15日）、翌日の衆議院本会議（7月16日）、参議院 平和安全法制特別委員会（9月17日）、そして本日の参議院本会議と、強行採決という暴挙を繰り返し、ついに法律を成立させました。今回のわたしたちの抗議が前回と同じ趣旨であるのは、議論の進展がまったくなされていないから、政府はわたしたちの疑問や不安に、まったく答えていないからです。
民主主義は数の論理のみに従うものではありません。そうであるなら国会という会議の場は不要です。国民は納得していません。7月15日、衆議院 平和安全法制特別委員会強行採決以来、国民の声が、これまでにない程多くの社会層、年齢層にまで裾野を広げ、激しい勢いで国会周辺、日本全国各地で高まったのはなぜでしょうか。
明らかに憲法違反の法律を力づくで成立させ、議会制と国民主権を踏みにじる現政権は、憲法尊重擁護の義務を規定する憲法９９条に違反しており、政府という名に値しません。
最後に、「剣をさやに納めなさい。剣を取る者は皆、剣で滅びる。」(マタイ26章52節)という聖書の言葉にあるように、武力によらない平和構築を目指すことをもとめ、わたしたち日本カトリック正義と平和協議会は、参議院本会議における、本日9月19日の安全保障関連法の強行採決に強く抗議し、速やかにその取り下げ、廃止を求めます。
eptember 19, 2015
Hon. Shinzo Abe
Prime Minister of Japan
Hon. Masaaki Yamazaki
Chairman of the House of Councilors
Statement of Protest
We, the Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, strongly protest the steamrolling of security bills through the plenary session of the House of Councilors on September 19, 2015, and demand a withdrawal of the bills.
The points of the following statement are similar to the statement announced on July 15 against the steamrolling of the same bills through the Special Committee on Legislation for Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community of the House of Representatives.
If the exercise of a right to collective self-defense is permitted, the tension among nations and risk of terrorism will rise, the arms race will be promoted and military forces can be used overseas following the government’s arbitrary decision. We will never agree with the idea that a strong deterrent is a way to peace.
As a majority of constitutional scholars in Japan and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations acknowledge, it is against the Constitution to permit the exercise of a right to collective self-defense. An unconstitutional bill is invalid. This nation’s legal framework, constitutionalism, will be destroyed by enacting these bills which neglects the Constitution and puts in place the exercise of a right to collective self defense.
Moreover, these bills provoke hostility by heightening tension among nations, impel people to wage wars and open the way to dictatorship.
In addition, we are truly distressed with repeated outrageous steamrolling. Since May 15, 2015 when the government proposed security bills based on the cabinet decision of July 1, 2014 that permits the exercise of a right to collective self-defense, many influential individuals have pointed out that it is unconstitutional and will increase the risk of terrorism. However, the government has only repeated obscure explanations about the bills. The steamrolling of these bills became clear, as no lively debate has been held on this issue. In these circumstances, the government has passed the bills by repeating its outrageous strong-arming through the Special Committee on Legislation for the Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community of the House of Representatives on July 15, 2015, the plenary session of the House of Representative on the next day July 16, the Special Committee on Legislation for the Peace and Security of Japan and the International Community of the House of Councilors on September 17, and the plenary session of the House of Councilors today. The points of this statement repeat those of the last one because the debates have not been advanced at all, and the government has never responded to our doubts or anxiety.
Democracy is not simply a matter of following numbers. If it were, the Diet as the place for debates will be meaningless. Japanese citizen have not been convinced by this passage of bills. That is the reason the voices of citizen have been extraordinarily mounted in the surroundings of the Diet and in various parts of Japan, involving a wider range of people of various ages than ever before.
The current administration, which has forcibly passed unconstitutional bills and trampled down the parliamentary system and sovereignty of the people, is clearly in violation of Article 99 of the Constitution which stipulates the obligation to respect and uphold the Constitution. Therefore the administration is not worthy of being called the government.
Finally, we demand that peace be realized without using force, as stated in the Bible: “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52). We strongly protest the steamrolling of the security bills through the plenary session of the Upper House today, September 19, and demand that the bills be withdrawn and abandoned as soon as possible.
Bishop Taiji Katsuya
Chairman
Japan Catholic Council of Justice and Peace
