In
April 1955, Jiichiro Matsumoto (1887-1966), a leader of Buraku liberation
movement, a politician, and a proponent of “Suihei-undo (Horizontal movement,
i.e., Buraku liberation movement) of the world,” participated in Bandung
Conference in Indonesia, where leaders from thirty newly post-colonial states,
along with observers from national liberation movements throughout the colonial
world, gathered. The photo is a reminder of the central role played by this
Buraku liberation leader in the Third World Internationalism in the 1950s,
which brought together Third-World radical grassroots activists and political
leaders from all over the world.
According
to AAPA (Asian American Political Alliance) Newspaper (vol. 1, no.4, 1969),
“the Bandung Conference was one of the major impetus in the development of the
Third World consciousness among the nations of Asia, Latin America and Africa.”
The AAPA Newspaper went on to quote from Chou Enlai’s speech at the conference.
He maintained, despite their ancient civilizations and contributions to the
world,
“ever
since modern times, most of the countries of Asia and Africa in varying degrees
have been subjected to colonial plunder and oppression, and have been thus
forced to remain in a stagnant state of poverty and backwardness … we Asian and
African countries, which are more or less under similar circumstances, should
be the first to cooperate with one another in a friendly manner and put
peaceful coexistence into practice. The discord and estrangement created among
the Asian and African countries by colonial rule in the past should no longer
be there. We Asian and African countries should respect one another and
eliminate any suspicion and fear which may exist between us.”
Matsumoto
was a friend to Chou Enlai and a regular participant of many international conferences.
Matsumoto’s principle of fukashin fukahishin (Do not invade, Do
not allow getting invaded) was reflected in the Ten Principles for Peace
declared at the Bandung Conference.
In
1952, prior to Bandung Conference, Matsumoto had also played a leadership role
in founding the Asian Ethnic Friendship Association. The Association
originated in a deep regret of Japan’s invasion of Asian countries. The
founding statement of the Association maintained: “If Japan desires to become a
truly independent and democratic country and to contribute to world peace,
Japan must establish friendly relationships with all ethnic groups in Asia.”
The statement continued: “Asian people, who reside in Japan, would take the
central role in this Association. The Association would promote mutual
understanding and friendship among all Asian ethnic groups, based on the
principle of fushin fukashin,
equality, and mutual support.” According to Kazuaki Honda at the library of the
Human Rights Research Center, the Association reached out to Koreans, Chinese,
Indians, Mongols, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Thai, and Indonesians, who were
residing in Japan, to become co-founders of the Association. (It would be
interesting to find out how leaders of each group responded to the invitation.)
Matsumoto
was also befriended by American civil rights activist and renowned performance
artist Josephine Baker. In an interview, Matsumoto recalled his encounter with
Baker:
“When
Ms Josephine Baker visited Japan, I had an opportunity to meet with her and
witnessed her suffering as a member of an oppressed race, which was engraved
into her brown skin. I deeply empathized with her determination to devote
herself, even to the last drop of her blood, to eliminating unjust
discriminations from the world. [It was because of my encounter with Baker] I
started to participate in [the International League against Racism and
Anti-Semitism]. Baker’s suffering and determination reminded me of my own lived
experience of suffering as an oppressed person in Japan, my determination to
end discrimination, and my struggles over thirty years. That is why I was
delighted to promise her to work with her.”
No comments:
Post a Comment