昨年は第１次世界大戦開戦１００年目であった。今年は第２次世界大戦終戦７０年目に当たる。日本は、第１次世界大戦で戦勝国となり植民地支配を拡大し、第２次世界大戦では敗戦国となって戦争責任を問われた。国際連合憲章は、わずか３０年の間に２度も大規模な戦争を体験したことを顧みて、平和と安全保障、人権と福祉を実現するための国際機構を設立したと記している。それから2年後に起草された日本国憲法は、その前文で、日本国民の誓いとして、「政府の行為によって戦争の惨禍が起こることのないやうにすることを決意し、恒久の平和を念願し、人間相互の関係を支配する崇高な理想を深く自覚し、平和を愛好する諸国民の公正と信義に信頼して、我らの安全と生存を保持しようと決意した」と記している。また、「全世界の国民が、ひとしく恐怖と欠乏から免かれ、平和のうちに生存する権利を有することを確認」している。
被爆７０年を迎えた広島・長崎でも、この精神を踏まえた「平和宣言」が発表され、核兵器廃絶への積極的な取り組みを政府に求めた。国際的にも、原爆投下の「犯罪性」を確認し、平和への権利の国際的承認と核兵器の全面廃絶の実現とを結びつける主張もある。一言でいえば、戦後世界に鋭い傷跡を残したホロコーストと原爆投下について、「永遠の負罪」と「恒久の平和」とを結びつける知的な試みが始まったと言ってもよい。
いま与党は、全有権者の３分の１ほどの投票で選出された議員によって国会の圧倒的多数を占め、これを悪用して、国際的な誓約である憲法に反する「平和安保法制」を採択しようとしている。これこそが、憲法9条と前文の「平和のうちに生きる権利」の確認が人類の至宝であることを認めず、これを踏みにじる行為であって、安直な「力による平和」論に甘える途方もない愚行と言わざるを得ない。ドイツの賢人を引くまでもなく、「歴史に目を閉ざす者は、現在を危うくし、将来の危害をもたらす」という自戒を強く意識せざるを得ない。
新倉 修（青山学院大学教授）
Last year marked the 100th anniversary of World War One. This year is the 70th anniversary of cease-fire of the World War Two. Japan was defeated and claimed for war responsibility in WWII, while in WWI she was among winners to expand her colonial rule. The Charter of the United Nations, marking twice in a few short generation (almost 30 years) extravagances of warfare, states establishment of a universal international organization for the purpose of peace and security as well as of implementation of human rights and welfare. Just two years later, the Constitution of Japan declared in its preamble as a pledge of Japanese people that we “resolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government, [sic] desire peace for all time and are deeply conscious of the high ideals controlling human relationship, and we have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world.” It also states that “we recognize that all people of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.”
In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after 70 years of atomic bombings, the two mayors made public “Peace Declarations” in step with these principles, and urged the Government to make a proactive commitment to extermination of nuclear weapons. On the international scene, there is a case for recognizing “criminal nature” of nuclear bombings, even calling for the right to peace to be recognized at the international level, and for complete abolition of nuclear weapons as an integral part of it. In summing up, now we are seeing a new intellectual trial, which combines holocaust and nuclear bombings, which marked both deep scars in the post war world, with “eternal debts” and “peace for all the time.”
Now the ruling parties in Japan, representing only a third of voting population, but boasting an overwhelming majority in both Houses of the Diet, are making abuse of this majority powers to adopt “Peace and Security Legislation” in biting spirit and letter of the Constitution, an international pledge. It is no exaggeration to say that they ignore such a precious treasure of the human kind at large as is constitutional recognition of the “right to live in peace” in the preamble as well as famous Article 9 of the Constitution. Such a legislation is in realty distorting the essential spirit of the Constitution, and comes out to be an extravagantly foolish attempt in relying recklessly on an easy-going “policy of power on peace.” Without citing a wise address of a German President, “those who are blind toward the Past, endanger the Present, and will induce a greater risk in the Future.” This is a resounding lesson we should learn right now.