A Stunning Victory Against the May 27 Repression on the National Railway Workers!

At the trial of the May 27 repression case, the accused railway union activists won a historical victory. The charge of the violation of “the Violence Punishment Law” (Law Concerning Punishment of Physical Violence and Others of 1926) against the dissident national railway unionists was turned down. The Tokyo District Court (10th Department of Criminal Trial, chaired by UEMURA Minoru) ruled that accused brother MUKOYAMA Kazumitsu is not guilty, and fined the other 6 accused, unionists of National Railway Workers Union (NRU). The prosecutor’s demand for imprisonment (ranging from one year to one and a half year for each accused) was rejected. The intention of the Japan Railway Companies to dismiss the accused railway workers when they are convicted was totally crushed. The Tokyo District Court was unable to apply “the Violence Punishment Law”, which was legislated to annihilate labor unions and labor movement, to the May 27 case and could not prove “conspiracy”. It’s a great victory!

This is an achievement of the unflinching struggle of the accused and the defense counsel. To consolidate the labor unity, the accused workers had made a resolute decision to resolve the previous defense counsel who did not agree with the accused unionists on the way of carrying out struggle in the court. The accused national railway workers were confident to fight class trial based on unity of working class. The recent success of the November 1st National Workers’ Rally also contributed to this victory in the court. The last resort of the judge was to apply the criminal law on act of violence to this case and fined brother TOMITA Masuyuki ￥600,000, brothers HABIRO Hiroshi and AZUMA Gen ￥400,000 and brothers TACHIBANA Hideo, HARADA Ryuji and KOIZUMI Shin ￥200,000.
The accused have immediately decided to appeal to the High Court.

In the evening after the judgment, a meeting was held to report on the trial in Bunkyo-Ward Public Hall in Tokyo. All the participants were glad to know that the state power attempt of convicting the militant national railway workers by the “the Violence Punishment Law” was crushed and they confirmed their firm determination to continue fighting against the repression on militant unionists and to overthrow corrupt union headquarters of Japan National Railway Workers’ Union (NRU, Kokuro).

Brother Tomita, head of the team of the accused, declared, “We are now ready to take a full responsibility for the struggle of 1047 dismissed national railway workers. Let’s become mainstream of national railway labor movement. Today we make a fresh start for that!”

The national railway struggle faces now a decisive moment with the following crucial theme: “Withdraw the dismissal of 1047 national railway workers!” “Stop outsourcing of inspection and reparation” “Down with Japan Railway System”

Let’s fight all-out struggle together with the team of the accused who is resolved to win a final victory in their struggle!

Let’s win a victory in the trial of militant Hosei University students! Release 8 students from the jail!

Let’s fight together in unity!

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Notes:

[1] May 27 repression on dissident national railway unionists

Six national railway unionists and a supporter were indicted in charge of violating the Law Concerning Punishment of Physical Violence and Others of 1926 for their activities on the occasion of the Extraordinary National Convention of National Railway Workers Union (NRU, Kokuro) held on May 27, 2002.

Their activities, the alleged violation of the law, were in fact distribution of flyers telling their opinions against the policy of their union NRU headquarters that urged the union members to cave in to the government and the JR (Japan Railway) companies in the struggle against the dismissal of 1047 national railway workers in the course of the Division and Privatization of National Railway that was practiced in 1987.

It was disclosed in the course of the trial that continued for 7 years that the union officers worked in a close cooperation on the spot with the Metropolitan Police Department in producing a frame-up of a case against the dissident unionists, who only tried to have their voices heard by fellow delegations to the convention of NRU, their own union, in front of the hotel through their flyers. Ironically, in the video records taken by the officers of the NRU headquarters in front of the hotel and offered to the police and the public prosecutors office for the indictment of their own unionist, no proof was found to verify “violent activities” of the accused unionists.

 [2] Law Concerning Punishment of Physical Violence and Others of 1926

This law was legislated in Japanese pre-war time to eradicate labor movement. It refers to “violate the law --- in joint action of several persons, by demonstrating a force of an organization or of a numbers of persons, by demonstrating a disguised force of an organization or of a numbers of persons” (Article 1)

Hosei students are indicted also in charge of this law.

(Zenshin organ paper of JRCL-NC, No.2412 October 19, 2009)

50 Years’ of Revolutionary Communist Movement

Time of a Great Leap Forward

Turn the global economic crisis into proletarian world revolution under the banner of Anti-imperialism, anti-Stalinism!

In September 1959, the editorial of the Zenshin (“Forwards”), organ paper of JRCL-National Committee, published a historical appeal, “Join us, National Committee of JRCL, under the banner of ‘Anti-Imperialism, anti-Stalinism’” by the name of late comrade HONDA Nobuyoshi, the founder of JRCL. In autumn 2009, 50 years after that, JRCL adopted the Draft Program at the 25th (Enlarged) National Committee Meeting and openly declared that the Revolutionary Communist movement has entered a new stage. With this Draft Program of JRCL in our hands, let’s march forward for the proletarian world revolution.

Criminal Lie and Falsification by Totsuka

Concealing Kakumaru’s historical betrayal-their role as storm troopers of the Privatization of Japan National Railways-and of destroying the struggle of 1047 dismissed Railway Workers’

In face of the global economic crisis and mass dismissal, the struggle of 1047 dismissed national railway workers to demand their reinstatement has become an urgent agenda for all workers to be fought as a life and death battle against capital. At this precise moment, boosters of Kakumaru-Matsuzaki have emerged to pardon him openly from his historical betrayal in the Division and Privatization of Japan National Railways and even to glorify his deeds. TOTSUKA Hideo, professor emeritus of Tokyo University, recently published a booklet, titled “An Essay―Tracing the labor movement of Doro (Motive Power Workers’ Union), an interim report of the society to hear from JR-Soren (JRU)”. And in line with him, HIGUCHI Tokuzo, ex-editor in chief of the Rodo Joho (“Labor Information”) began a new move. What they are insisting is that an establishment of a “Broad United Front” including JRU is a way to rescue the 1047 workers”. Intention of MATSUZAKI Akira* is to destroy the struggle of 1047 National Railway workers for the survival of JRU and himself by the help of Totsuka and others. We shall never permit their shameless and dirty attempt. We openly denounce this move as a counter-revolutionary assault on the advance of the class struggle unionism and declare that we are determined to crush them completely. This article is the first shot against them.
*MATSIZAKI Akira is “the strongman of JRU.” He is ex-president of Doro, ex-president of JR-East Union (the main affiliate of JRU). His is also the vice-president of Kakumaru.

(Korean)　（Japanese）

[I] Our purpose (1) ~ (3)

[II] Revolutionary situation is ripe (4) ~ (5)

[III] The core problems of revolution (6) ~ (8)

[IV] The Task of 21st Century Revolution (9) ~ (14)

[I] Our purpose

(1) The emancipation of the working class must be conquered by the workers themselves. It is achieved by an overall overthrowing of capitalist society. The emancipation of the working class from class rule means at the same time emancipation of people from all kinds of oppression and discrimination under class society, that is, a universal emancipation of human beings.

Working class can not live without being a wage slave of capital in capitalist society in which it is deprived of all means of production and of living though it runs the production and in fact a master of the society. In capitalist society, labor, the most fundamental activity of human being, is reduced to means of self-increase of capital and workers are treated not as human being but as a labor power commodity. Proletarian revolution is a historical deed of reorganizing the whole structure of society by united workers who, overthrowing capitalist class, crushing bourgeois state power, establishing proletarian dictatorship and taking back all social means of production from the bourgeoisie who possesses it as private property. It abolishes the relationship of wage labor and capital and at the same time puts an end to oppression and exploitation of one class by the other class, overcome social division into classes and regain genuine community to the human being.

The only purpose of the Revolutionary Communist League is to fight an overall struggle for the complete victory of self-emancipation of working class. Achievement of complete defeat of capitalism=imperialism, accomplishment of proletarian world revolution, abolition of class society and construction of a genuine human community, that is, communist society.

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.

Down with reactionary Aso administration of war and massive unemployment!

Stop repression on Hosei University students by “Violence Punishment Law”!
Reinstate 1047 national railway workers!
Abolish Workers’ Dispatch Law!

 On June 14 (Photo Gallery)and 15(Photo Gallery), successive struggle was carried out in Tokyo to denounce the repression on Hosei University students and declared to kick out Aso administration. 2100 workers and students participated on June 14 in a big rally and a powerful street demonstration in Shibuya, downtown Tokyo. The next day, June 15, Hosei University, a “prison university”, was surrounded by 1200 students and also workers who, in spite of workday, took day off to join the struggle. The action was led by the fighting Hosei students who were released after 23 days’ unjust detention without being indicted.

 1200 workers and students surrounded Hosei University on June 15

 On June 15, the struggle was started by a speech of brother TANAKA Yasuhiro, president of Doro-Chiba (National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba), in front of the workers and students who gathered in a park adjoining Hosei University. He denounced the university administration and the state power that arrested 110 students and indicted 30 out of them in three years and insisted that the whole Japanese society and the world should know this outrageous and unjust repression. He warned that the rotten and ferocious character of the neo-liberal policy was exposed by the current repression on student movement by the pre-war imperial law (the Law Concerning the Punishment of Physical Violence and Others of 1926) and praised the arrested students who are fighting in detention keeping complete silence during the brutal police interrogation. He closed his speech by calling for solidarity with courageous students and declaring to continue fighting to liberate Hosei University. Demonstration headed for the university.
 What the demonstrators witnessed, when they reached the main gate of the campus, was a besieged university. The campus was totally locked out by the university administration to separate Hosei students from the demonstrators. All gates were closed excepting a narrow and small back door entrance to shut out students from entering the main campus square. Window shades were pulled down in every window to prevent the view. It was lunchtime and there was no student to be seen on campus. Only university staffs and guards were walking round there. On the street in front of the university, a squad of riot police was posted in a great number. In spite of these repressive measures, some students were watching the protesters from the rooftop and sending V-sign message to them. The university under siege indicates how the university administration fears the outburst of t he anger of 30,000 Hosei students who could join the struggle.
A protest rally was held just in front of the university main gate with mounting anger to denounce the university administration. “This is a prison university whose name is Hosei! What’s this barricade for” “In the past three years they have deprived us of everything except one thing. That is our unity.” The angry voices of speakers echoed through the campus.
The second wave of demonstration to surround the university marched on the street chanting, “Liberate Hosei University!” “Fight in unity to win!”

――A new Japanese translation of Capital and Labor by Johann Most

In 1873, at the time when the Paris Commune only 2 years before was still exerting enormous impact on the whole world and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were alive, Johann Most (born in February, 1846), a revolutionary young worker of Social Democratic Party of Germany wrote an introductory textbook to Marx's Capital to be read by workers. When Most worked on this book, he was 27 years old and was a political prisoner. He made a bold attempt to abridge the Vol.1 of Capital (25 chapters in total) into a booklet of a hundred and several tens of pages with 12 chapters. This was published in 1874 with a title: Capital and Labor -A popular Digest of Capital of Karl Marx.

One year later Karl Marx himself set to elaborate this booklet with revision of, and addition to, Most's writings. This second edition, published in 1876, contains excerpts from Capital and own writings of Marx, occupying 22% and 20% of the whole pages respectively. This illustrates a unique character of the second edition as an unparalleled introductory textbook to Marx's Capital. There are indeed numerous textbooks of Capital around the world but none of them was worked over by Marx himself.

World revolutionary situation is ripening as current Global Economic Crisis deepens day by day. The time is coming rapidly when we overthrow capitalist class and carry out Proletarian World Revolution. Let's read Marx's Capital now! Let's get back Marx's Capital into the hands of workers now! To offer workers an excellent guidance to Capital, the Committee for New Translation of Capital and Labor has decided to publish a new translation of this booklet..

Our new translation of Capital and Labor has 3 characteristics.
Firstly: We have made every effort to correct past erroneous translations and tried to form simple sentences for fresh readers.
Secondly: We have divided each chapter into sections with short titles for better learning (there are neither sections nor short titles in the original German text.).   
Thirdly: We have indicated which paragraphs are excerpts from Capital and which are the own writings of Marx, as distinct from others.

Let's study this booklet with the utmost energy in each workplace, campus and community in order to "mobilize soldiers of Social Revolution around the red flag, the symbol of brother- and sisterhood of all human beings"! (Capital and Labor, p.135 of the Japanese translation)
JRCL (Japan Revolutionary Communist League), armed with Communist Manifesto and Capital, must now make a distinct appearance both at home and abroad. Let's build up our organization dynamically, taking offensive against phony left-wing parties as well as against system-friendly leadership of labor unions!

(The booklet costs 1000yen.)

K.H., a member of The Committee for New Translation of Capital and Labor

1) Class struggle of US and world over has entered a decisive stage by the start of the Obama administration. In his inaugural address, Barak Obama stressed above all on the vital and crucial task of rescuing capitalism, or US imperialism, out of ruin. The core of Obama's speech was that he demanded workers take responsibility and accept sacrifices for the rescue of capitalism. He proclaimed a total confrontation with proletarian revolution, recalling the US experience to "face down communism".

On November 2 in Hibiya Outdoor Music Hall, 5700 workers and youth gathered to National Workers' Rally in confrontation against reactionary trends within labor movement. A gigantic step forward was thus made to revive Japanese labor movement in a revolutionary direction through smashing the defeatist line of "The Four Parties and Four Organizations" in regard to the struggle of dismissed 1047 national railway workers.

World revolutionary situation is ripe as global financial crisis erupts. Let's fight, taking back Marxism--the thought of self-emancipation of working class! 

                                                 Japan Revolutionary Communist League -National Committee
 Japanese 한국어

● The collapse of capitalism, imperialism, has entered a decisive stage. It is high time to accomplish proletarian world revolution.

A worldwide financial crisis far surpassing the Great Depression in 1929 has erupted. Imperialism at its final period has, in the last decades, carried on its neo-liberal agenda of deregulation and privatization practicing the capitalist law of the jungle to its full extent. A handful of bourgeois have thus earned an astronomical profit through exploiting working class brutally, imposing extremely heavy work, dismantling social welfare system and driving all working people into unbearable poverty. The full-scale practice of the neo-liberal agenda finally ended in a disintegration of the whole economic and social system of capitalism in its core.

On October 6, in solidarity with worldwide actions in International World Teachers Day, Japanese education workers stood up for rallies in Tokyo and Osaka. In Tokyo, a rally was held at 18.00 17:00 in the evening in front of the building of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office with 150 participants including education workers of Tokyo and Kanagawa prefecture, workers of other sectors and their supporters.