We petition the Obama administration to:

DENY JAPAN’S REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO HER CLAIM ON DIAOYU ISLANDS AND HER ATTEMPT TO REVISE THE PACIFIST CONSTITUTION

Japanese Prime Minister Abe is scheduled to visit Washington late February. The outcome of his visit has potential to significantly impact not only the peace and stability of the Pacific region, but also the economic recovery of the U.S., and consequently, your presidential legacy in history.  The main objectives of Prime Minister Abe’s visit are：First, to seek U.S. support on Japan’s territorial dispute with China on Diaoyu Islands. And second, to solicit U.S. opinions on Abe’s desire to revise or to reinterpret Article 9 of Japan’s pacifist constitution. We strongly urge you to deny both attempts, because they are against the fundamental and long term interests of our country. The reasons are stated in a separate letter sent to President Obama. 

我们要求奧巴馬縂統

拒绝日本要求美国支持它对钓鱼列岛的主权要求和它修改和平宪法的企图

　　日本首相安倍晉三定于2月下旬訪問華盛頓。这次訪問的結果有可能不僅會严重影響環太平洋区域的和平、穩定與繁榮，而且将影響美國的經濟復蘇，因此，关系到總統您在歷史上的定位。安倍首相訪問的主要目標是：第一，尋求美國支持日本在釣魚島上與中國的領土爭端。第二，爭取美國對安倍企图修改或重新解釋日本的和平憲法第9条款的理解和支持。我們強烈敦促你拒絕這兩個嘗試，因為它們危害我們的國家根本的和長期的利益。在給奧巴馬縂統的信中详细叙述了我们的理由。

　　如果您支持我们的请愿，请：

1. 上petitions.whitehouse.gov开设一个免费帐号：需要电邮信箱、姓名；
2. 打上以下的链接：https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/deny-japan%E2%80%99s-request-support-her-claim-diaoyu-islands-and-her-attempt-revise-pacifist-constitution/jN7yKwBq
3. 网上签名；
4. 当签名人数超过150人，则白宫网站会公布这个请愿书，方便更多签名；
5. 如果在一个月内超过10万人签名，总统必须回答我们的请愿；

　　希望大家支持。

致奧巴馬縂統的一封信

2013年2月9日

奧巴馬縂統
白宮
1600賓夕法尼亞大道NW
華盛頓，DC 20500

親愛的縂統先生：

　　日本首相安倍晉三定于2月下旬訪問華盛頓。这次訪問的結果有可能不僅會严重影響環太平洋区域的和平、穩定與繁榮，而且将影響美國的經濟復蘇，因此，关系到總統您在歷史上的定位。作為熟悉該地區的歷史、文化和經濟發展的學者和/或關心國事的公民，我們認為这是我們做为愛國者的責任，提出我們的意見，供您参考。

　　安倍首相訪問的主要目標是：第一，尋求美國支持日本在釣魚島上與中國的領土爭端。第二，爭取美國對安倍企图修改或重新解釋日本的和平憲法第9条款的理解和支持。该条款明确规定“日本人民永遠放棄戰爭作為一個主權國家的權利和永遠放棄武力威脅或使用武力作為解決國際爭端的手段。”安倍的筹码是試圖用《美国和日本之间的相互合作和安全条约》来积极支援在亚太地區的美國武裝部隊遏制中國快速日益增長的軍事能力。我們強烈敦促你拒絕這兩個嘗試，因為它們危害我們的國家根本的和長期的利益。下面是我们的理由：

• 經過20年的經濟停滯和政府无能、日本社會正在迅速轉向民族主義和軍國主義，不禁让东亚地區的人民回想起第二次世界大戰前的日本。第二次世界大戰結束已超過67年，日本人渴望成為一個“正常”的國家是可以理解的。然而，实现日本的願望的最大障礙，就是她不能真誠的谴责过去的侵略行为和對受害地區的人民表达由衷的道歉。这些地区的人们可能願意原諒日本的暴行，但永遠不會忘記歷史。日本應該向二次世界大戰后的德國学习，她以实际的言行毫不含糊地將自己与過去納粹德國切割，因而獲得其他國家的接受和尊重，成为了真正的”正常國家”。
• 以安倍为領導者的日本極端保守力量不可能是美国的長期朋友。對他們來說，第二次世界大戰仍被視為偉大的“大東亞聖戰”，这个战争是總統佛蘭克林•羅斯福強加于日本的；而日本的所謂的“進出”其他亞洲國家是为了帮助这些地区的人民擺脫掉西方殖民統治的枷鎖。至今很多日本人仍深感不滿他们是原子彈的唯一受害者。因此，我們认为，一旦日本從和平憲法第9條的枷鎖中部释放出来，她將不再是美國的盟友。
• 釣魚島的領土爭端本来不应该是一个问题，因为日本无条件投降后，已经完全接受了《1943年開羅宣言》和《1945年的波茨坦公告》。按照这些文件，日本必须歸還所有它強行佔領的中國領土。不幸的是，由於戰後地緣政治操縱，這一爭端發生了。我們不能改變歷史。然而，日本“不承认有争议”的說法不只是愚蠢的而且關閉了任何有意義的談判的大門。事实上，自1972年以來的很长的一段时间，中日双方有效的搁置爭端。不幸的是，隨著日本變得更窮兵黷武，右翼政客開始挑起與中國內地和臺灣的對抗。這些事件不是巧合，而是刻意为了銷毀日本憲法第9條的手段。美國不應成為日本极端保守派的一種工具。
• 在争取世界各地的人們的心靈和大脑方面，過去的20年美國外交政策不很成功，這需要改變。在1980年代後期，絕大多數的中國青年对美國有深切的好感，認為美國可以作为中国改革的模型。然而，經過20多年的密切互動，中國年輕人对美国的心情变得更复杂，甚至有些負面。許多我們的專家想要我們相信這是由於共產黨政權的宣傳。然而，在互聯網時代這一推定誇大了共產黨政權的能力，因为，如今即使在中國最偏遠的縣城，人们可以從世界上任何地方獲取幾乎無限的資訊。今天中國政府已不可能有效的阻止年輕人获取國際輿論和資訊。
• 21St世紀美中關係處於最重要的雙邊關系之一。中國一定會变得更民主，因此美國必须向中國的年輕人展示我們的善意。我們的外交政策應减少對短期的地緣政治平衡的考量，而须更多的關注於能提升人们灵魂和品质的价值理念。這些理念將会得到世界人民更普遍的接受如，果美國能按照您2009年的就職演說中高雅的闡述：“我們的力量增長是透過審慎的使用，我們的安全源自我們的诉求的正义性、我們的展示榜樣的力量、謙遜和自我克制的潜移默化力量。”如果我們能堅持這些态度，美國和中國之間的和平的、建設性的和互利的關係會持續很長時間。

　　金融危機已經痛苦地證明，世界正在進入一個關鍵的過渡和決定性時刻。要克服目前的金融和經濟危機，需要這個全球村内的不同國家和人民之間的建設性夥伴關係。在一個每一天都变得越來越小的世界尋找持久的和平和繁榮，將需要所有的不同文化的集體智慧。您的政府所强调的促进發展和外交的新國際政策，而不是延续上屆政府的單方面和霸權主义的做法令人耳目一新。

　　真誠地和尊重地，

　　關心美国对日政策的一群公民

（個人签名的名单请参考给奧巴馬縂統的请願书“拒绝日本要求美国支持它对钓鱼列岛的主权要求和它修改和平宪法的企图”。）

A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITIED STATES

February 15, 2013

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President：

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Washington late this month. The outcome of his visit has potential to significantly impact not only the peace, stability and prosperity of the Pacific Rim countries, but also the economic recovery of the U.S., and consequently, your presidential legacy in history.  As scholars and/or concerned citizens who are familiar with the history, culture and economic development of the region, we feel that it is our patriotic duty to present our views for your consideration.

The main objectives of Prime Minister Abe’s visit are：First, to seek U.S. support on Japan’s territorial dispute with China on Diaoyu Islands. And second, to solicit U.S. opinions on Abe’s desire to revise or to reinterpret Article 9 of Japan’s pacifist constitution, which states that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.  Abe will try to justify his requests by dangling the promise of strong support to the U.S. Armed Forces in the region through ‘The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan’ to counter China's fast growing military capabilities. We strongly urge you to deny both attempts, because they are against the fundamental and long term interests of our country. Below are the reasons：

• After 20 years of economic stagnation and government ineptitude, Japanese society is rapidly turning nationalistic and militaristic, reminding the people in the region of the old Japan prior to WWII. It has been more than 67 years since WWII ended, and the Japanese people’s desire to become a “normal” country is understandable. However, the biggest roadblock to Japan’s desire is  her inability to honestly apologize for the aggression and atrocities Japan incurred to other people in the region who may be willing to forgive but can never forget the history.  Japan should learn from post WWII Germany, which has gained the acceptance and respect of other countries by unequivocally separating herself from the Nazi past.
• The ultra-conservative wing of the Japanese political spectrum, of which Abe is the leader, will not be our long term friend.  To them, WWII is still considered the Great East Asian Holy War, which was forced upon Japan by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Japan's so called "entry into" other Asian countries was simply an effort to help them throw off the yoke of Western colonization. Many Japanese still deeply resent being the only victims of the atomic bomb. Therefore, we feel that Japan will no longer be a U.S. ally once she is free from the yoke of the Article 9 of the pacifist constitution.
• The territorial dispute of Diaoyu Islands would never have been an issue if the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, which obliged Japan to return all the Chinese territories it had forcibly occupied, were properly executed as they should have been.  Unfortunately, the dispute developed because of post-WWII geopolitical manipulations.  We cannot change history.  However, Japan’s claim that there is no dispute whatsoever is not only foolish, but closes the door to any meaningful negotiation.  The dispute has been tabled since 1972.  Unfortunately, as Japan became more militaristic, right wing politicians started to provoke confrontations with both mainland China and Taiwan. These incidents are not coincidence but a deliberate effort to destroy Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. The U.S. should not become a tool of Japanese ultra-conservatives.
• U.S. foreign policy in the last 20 years has not been very successful in winning the hearts and minds of people around the world, and this needs to be changed.   In the late 1980s, the great majority of young people in China had profound affection for the U.S. and considered the U.S. a role model to follow.  However, after 20 years of close interaction, the feelings have become more mixed, and even negative among young Chinese people.  Many of our experts want us to believe that this is due to the propaganda of the communist regime. However, this presumption overstates the power of the communist regime in the internet age, as even people in the most remote county in China can obtain almost unlimited information from anywhere in the world.  It has become impossible for the communist government to continue blocking international opinion and open information from reaching the young people.
• The US-China relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the 21st century. China will definitely become more and more democratic and it is very important to show our good intentions to the young people of China.  Our foreign policy should be based less on short term geopolitical balance, but more on up-lifting principles. These principles will be more universally embraced when ‘our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.’ as you eloquently articulated in your 2009 inaugural address. If we stay true to these principles, a peaceful, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. and China will endure for a long time. 

The world is entering a critical transitional and defining moment, as the financial crisis has painfully demonstrated.  To overcome the ongoing financial and economic crisis requires constructive partnerships among the countries and peoples of this global village. To find lasting peace and prosperity in a world that is growing smaller every day will require the collective wisdom of all our different cultures.  It is refreshing to see your administration’s new international policy of development and diplomacy instead of the previous administration’s unilateral and hegemonic approach.  

Sincerely and respectfully,

Concerned Citizens on the US Policy towards Japan

The individual signatures are listed in the petition “DENY JAPAN’S REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO HER CLAIM ON DIAOYU ISLANDS AND HER ATTEMPT TO REVISE THE PACIFIST CONSTITUTION”