Some 3,000 farmers and consumers gather at an open air concert hall in Tokyo on Wednesday, May 14, to say no to the TPP talks.
Farmers and consumer organizations jointly held a protest rally on Wednesday in Tokyo, calling for protection of tariffs on key farm products in the negotiations under the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks.
Participants of the meeting, held at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall in Chiyoda Ward, adopted a resolution asking the government and lawmakers to keep the Diet resolutions which state the need to maintain the tariffs and also disclose information on the negotiations.
After the meeting, they marched to Nagatacho where the Diet buildings are located.
More than 3,000 people nationwide attended the meeting co-sponsored by eight organizations – the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), the National Chamber of Agriculture, the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, the National Federation of Forest Owners’ Co-operative Associations, Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union, Daichi Wo Mamoru Kai Co., Japan Dairy Council and the Housewives’ Federation.
JA-Zenchu head Akira Banzai strongly urged politicians to meet the resolutions, saying the resolutions by the Diet is a declaration by the highest organ of state power and the resolution by the Liberal Democratic Party is the pledge the ruling party has made to the public.
Banzai also said that the government should not make the confidentiality agreement an excuse for hiding or controlling information, stressing the need to drastically improve its disclosure policy to wipe out worries and concerns among the Japanese people.
Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union President Katsumi Asada said he cannot help feeling strong distrust for the TPP negotiations conducted behind closed doors, pointing out that disclosure is indispensable.
Mayor Masahiro Nakahira of Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture, said in order to protect Japan and its rural villages, it is necessary to realize the Diet resolutions and protect the nation’s agriculture, forestry and other primary industries.
LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, who spoke on behalf of the ruling coalition, said the ruling party is determined to win the negotiations in order to secure the national interests, but added that it would not be enough. He told the participants that the ruling coalition will make every effort to work together with them for the revitalization of the nation’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary-general of LDP’s coalition partner New Komeito, said they will ask the government to conduct the TPP negotiations keeping in mind that the best way to meet the national interests as defined by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to keep the Diet resolutions.
Yoko Sasaki of Daichi Wo Mamoru Kai read the resolution out loud, and after unanimously approving it, the participants shouted three cheers led by Hidetoshi Yamashita, head of the Japan Agricultural Co-operative group’s youth association.
(May 15, 2014)