Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO2439
2008-09-05 07:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
GEORGIA: JAPANESE COMMUNISTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002439
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RU JA
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: JAPANESE COMMUNISTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST
RUSSIAN ACTIONS
TOKYO 00002439 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James P. Zumwalt per 1.4 (b/d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002439
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RU JA
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: JAPANESE COMMUNISTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST
RUSSIAN ACTIONS
TOKYO 00002439 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James P. Zumwalt per 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) is "deeply
concerned" by and "rejects" Russia's "hegemonic actions" in
Georgia, calls on Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia
and demands that Russia withdraw its recognition of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, JCP Diet member Akira Kasai told
Embassy Tokyo September 5. Kasai had called on Embassy
Tokyo, as well as the other G7 embassies and the Russian
embassy, to preview a statement that JCP Chairman Kazuo Shii
would issue later September 5 (full text of statement in
paragraph 2). Chairman Shii would also call on Foreign
Minister Koumura to urge the Japanese Government to strongly
condemn Russia's "interference in Georgia's internal affairs"
and other actions and coordinate with the other G7 nations,
Kasai said.
2. (SBU) Text of Chairman Shii's Statement:
One month has passed since Russia and Georgia opened
hostilities over the South Ossetian Autonomous Region, which
is part of Georgia. The hostilities began with Georgia
taking military action against South Ossetia. Russia
responded to this by sending in its South Ossetia-based
forces and reinforcing them with forces from Russia to carry
out incursions into various Georgian locales outside of South
Ossetia. The two countries signed a cease-fire agreement on
August 13 and Russian forces are pulling their forces out of
Georgia. However, Russian forces are still in Georgian
territory outside of South Ossetia. What is more, the
Russian government on August 26 unilaterally recognized the
South Ossetia Autonomous Region and the Abkhazia Autonomous
Republic, which are part of Georgia, as independent states.
Faced with concerns and criticism from among the
international community, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
said, "We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect
of a new Cold War." The hostilities are thus becoming a
critical issue that has a bearing on the world order in the
21st century.
Russia's military incursions into Georgia and its unilateral
recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent
states are contrary to international law and the UN Charter
that call for the sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity of all UN. member nations to be respected.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia more than once
pledged to honor the principles of sovereignty, independence
and territorial integrity of all members of the former Soviet
Union.
In December 1991, the former Soviet republics issued the
Alma-Ata Declaration to establish the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS). Its member countries, including
Russia, pledged to "recognize and respect one another's
territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing
borders within the Commonwealth." In the relation between
Russia and Georgia, it was agreed that Russian forces would
be stationed in South Ossetia as peacekeepers to cope with
the ethnic conflicts in the region on the premise that
Georgia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity
be respected.
What is more, since 1993, the UN Security Council on a number
of occasions has adopted resolutions on Georgia, calling for
the "commitment of all Member States to Georgia's
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within
its internationally recognized borders" to be respected.
Russia has always voted in favor of the resolutions.
It is clear that the recent Russian action goes against the
TOKYO 00002439 002.2 OF 002
commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity, which Russia
has reaffirmed before the international community, and goes
against the principles of the UN Charter and international
law.
The reason Russia gave for its recognition of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia as independent states was Georgia's military
action against South Ossetia. The Georgian government
explained that it had carried out the military action in
order to "restore constitutional order in the region"
(Georgia's defense minister). However, the Georgian
government deserves criticism for attempting to resolve the
ethnic question militarily and for causing extensive damage
to South Ossetian residents.
However, South Ossetia is part of Georgia. Although the
present issue is related to Russia, which deploys a
peacekeeping force in it based on mutual agreement, it is
basically an internal affair that arose within the territory
of Georgia. Georgia's military action must not be used to
justify Russia's military incursions into Georgia from South
Ossetia where Russian forces were stationed under an
agreement between Russia and Georgia.
In addition, the cease-fire agreement signed by Russia and
Georgia after the hostilities between them called for opening
"international discussions on security and stability
modalities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia." It is absurd for
Russia to recognize the two regions unilaterally as
independent states soon after it agreed to discuss the
"security and stability" of the two regions within Georgia.
Russia caused deep concerns and provoked severe criticism
from the international community when it carried out its
first military incursions into another country since the
collapse of the Soviet Union and recognized the independence
of the two regions, which would unilaterally change the
borders that had been made inviolable at the time of the
foundation of the CIS.
Furthermore, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in his speech
on August 18, said, "Practically at no time in its history
did (Czarist) Russia, the Soviet Union, or modern Russia ever
start hostilities." We cannot overlook that fact that in
saying this, he distorted, or even praised, the history of a
number of acts of territorial expansionism and hegemony by
Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union under Stalin and his
successors. It contradicts the reflections expressed by the
Russian government over the Soviet Union's military invasion
of other countries, including Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
As a party that has firmly opposed so many hegemonic acts by
the Soviet Union under Stalin and his successors, the JCP is
deeply concerned about the Russian president's remark.
The JCP demands that the Russian government pull its troops
back to the areas where they had been stationed before the
outbreak of recent hostilities, withdraw its recognition of
the two areas in Georgia as independent states, and strictly
respect Georgia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial
integrity.
We strongly call for the present question to be resolved
peacefully through political and diplomatic talks between the
parties concerned in compliance with the UN Charter and
international law.
End Text of Statement.
ZUMWALT
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RU JA
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: JAPANESE COMMUNISTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST
RUSSIAN ACTIONS
TOKYO 00002439 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James P. Zumwalt per 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) is "deeply
concerned" by and "rejects" Russia's "hegemonic actions" in
Georgia, calls on Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia
and demands that Russia withdraw its recognition of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, JCP Diet member Akira Kasai told
Embassy Tokyo September 5. Kasai had called on Embassy
Tokyo, as well as the other G7 embassies and the Russian
embassy, to preview a statement that JCP Chairman Kazuo Shii
would issue later September 5 (full text of statement in
paragraph 2). Chairman Shii would also call on Foreign
Minister Koumura to urge the Japanese Government to strongly
condemn Russia's "interference in Georgia's internal affairs"
and other actions and coordinate with the other G7 nations,
Kasai said.
2. (SBU) Text of Chairman Shii's Statement:
One month has passed since Russia and Georgia opened
hostilities over the South Ossetian Autonomous Region, which
is part of Georgia. The hostilities began with Georgia
taking military action against South Ossetia. Russia
responded to this by sending in its South Ossetia-based
forces and reinforcing them with forces from Russia to carry
out incursions into various Georgian locales outside of South
Ossetia. The two countries signed a cease-fire agreement on
August 13 and Russian forces are pulling their forces out of
Georgia. However, Russian forces are still in Georgian
territory outside of South Ossetia. What is more, the
Russian government on August 26 unilaterally recognized the
South Ossetia Autonomous Region and the Abkhazia Autonomous
Republic, which are part of Georgia, as independent states.
Faced with concerns and criticism from among the
international community, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
said, "We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect
of a new Cold War." The hostilities are thus becoming a
critical issue that has a bearing on the world order in the
21st century.
Russia's military incursions into Georgia and its unilateral
recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent
states are contrary to international law and the UN Charter
that call for the sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity of all UN. member nations to be respected.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia more than once
pledged to honor the principles of sovereignty, independence
and territorial integrity of all members of the former Soviet
Union.
In December 1991, the former Soviet republics issued the
Alma-Ata Declaration to establish the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS). Its member countries, including
Russia, pledged to "recognize and respect one another's
territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing
borders within the Commonwealth." In the relation between
Russia and Georgia, it was agreed that Russian forces would
be stationed in South Ossetia as peacekeepers to cope with
the ethnic conflicts in the region on the premise that
Georgia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity
be respected.
What is more, since 1993, the UN Security Council on a number
of occasions has adopted resolutions on Georgia, calling for
the "commitment of all Member States to Georgia's
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within
its internationally recognized borders" to be respected.
Russia has always voted in favor of the resolutions.
It is clear that the recent Russian action goes against the
TOKYO 00002439 002.2 OF 002
commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity, which Russia
has reaffirmed before the international community, and goes
against the principles of the UN Charter and international
law.
The reason Russia gave for its recognition of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia as independent states was Georgia's military
action against South Ossetia. The Georgian government
explained that it had carried out the military action in
order to "restore constitutional order in the region"
(Georgia's defense minister). However, the Georgian
government deserves criticism for attempting to resolve the
ethnic question militarily and for causing extensive damage
to South Ossetian residents.
However, South Ossetia is part of Georgia. Although the
present issue is related to Russia, which deploys a
peacekeeping force in it based on mutual agreement, it is
basically an internal affair that arose within the territory
of Georgia. Georgia's military action must not be used to
justify Russia's military incursions into Georgia from South
Ossetia where Russian forces were stationed under an
agreement between Russia and Georgia.
In addition, the cease-fire agreement signed by Russia and
Georgia after the hostilities between them called for opening
"international discussions on security and stability
modalities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia." It is absurd for
Russia to recognize the two regions unilaterally as
independent states soon after it agreed to discuss the
"security and stability" of the two regions within Georgia.
Russia caused deep concerns and provoked severe criticism
from the international community when it carried out its
first military incursions into another country since the
collapse of the Soviet Union and recognized the independence
of the two regions, which would unilaterally change the
borders that had been made inviolable at the time of the
foundation of the CIS.
Furthermore, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in his speech
on August 18, said, "Practically at no time in its history
did (Czarist) Russia, the Soviet Union, or modern Russia ever
start hostilities." We cannot overlook that fact that in
saying this, he distorted, or even praised, the history of a
number of acts of territorial expansionism and hegemony by
Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union under Stalin and his
successors. It contradicts the reflections expressed by the
Russian government over the Soviet Union's military invasion
of other countries, including Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
As a party that has firmly opposed so many hegemonic acts by
the Soviet Union under Stalin and his successors, the JCP is
deeply concerned about the Russian president's remark.
The JCP demands that the Russian government pull its troops
back to the areas where they had been stationed before the
outbreak of recent hostilities, withdraw its recognition of
the two areas in Georgia as independent states, and strictly
respect Georgia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial
integrity.
We strongly call for the present question to be resolved
peacefully through political and diplomatic talks between the
parties concerned in compliance with the UN Charter and
international law.
End Text of Statement.
ZUMWALT