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To People Around the World Who Aspire to Peace
Since its launch in May 2020, ZHAP (ZENKO Henoko Anti–Base Project) has carried out two rounds of petition campaigns—the First Petition: Stop the New Henoko Base!, and the Second Petition: No Taiwan Contingency! Never Again an Okinawa War!—and has delivered a total of approximately 14,000 signatures to the U.S. government and the U.S. Congress.
However, military tensions in East Asia have continued to escalate day by day, creating an increasingly alarming situation. In order to ensure that war is never allowed to break out in this region, we have drafted an international appeal of East Asian civil society opposing militarization and calling for disarmament and peace, through cross-border discussions among citizens. We are now seeking endorsements from individuals and organizations that agree with the purpose of this appeal.
／[Addendum]
In response to a new development at the end of 2025, in which Prime Minister Takaichi stated in the Diet that Japan would engage in military intervention in the Taiwan issue, we have updated the lead section of the petition to read:
“Withdraw Takaichi’s Statement! Japan and the United States Must Not Militarily Intervene in the Taiwan Issue!”
The main text that follows remains unchanged.
／
The voices of support gathered across borders will ultimately be submitted to the governments and authorities of Japan, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and others, as well as to the United Nations. We would be grateful if you would read this appeal and endorse it if you agree with its content. We also hope you will help spread it in your workplaces and local communities.
This international appeal campaign seeks endorsements from individuals and organizations that agree with the appeal text and its demands, and aims to present the voice of civil society to the international community.
For individual endorsements, please provide your name and country/region of residence. Your name will be submitted to the relevant authorities but will not be made public.
For organizational endorsements, please provide the organization’s name (English name if available), name of the representative, location (country/region and city), contact information (email address), and whether or not you consent to the organization’s name being made public.
On the ZENKO website (ZHAP page), we will regularly post the number of individual endorsers and the names of organizations that have agreed to be made public.
Endorsements will be collected both online (via Change.org and the ZENKO website) and in paper form.
The end of December 2025 will be the first aggregation deadline. The final submission date has not yet been decided.
Please send paper-based signatures to the following address of the ZHAP Secretariat:
→ ZHAP Secretariat
LAG Center
1-6-21 Gamo, Joto-ku, Osaka 536-0016, Japan
Sign here
Individual
Organization
Organization Online Petition
Withdraw Takaichi’s Remarks! Japan and the United States Must Not Militarily Intervene in the Taiwan Issue! Peace Through Dialogue and Negotiation, Not Military Force! Let Us Stop War in East Asia Through International Solidarity of Civil Society!
To:The President of the United States The Secretary-General of the United Nations
We are deeply alarmed by the rapid militarization now unfolding across East Asia. Across a vast region stretching from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii in the east, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and other countries are repeatedly conducting large-scale joint military exercises under the banner of defending a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” Through frameworks such as AUKUS and the QUAD, they are strengthening what can only be described as an “Asian version of NATO”—a military bloc aimed at containing China. Along the so-called “First Island Chain,” stretching from the Korean Peninsula to the Philippines—now positioned on the front lines of escalating military confrontation—many island residents have no place to flee and are being forced to confront the looming threat of war.
In Japan, revisions to the three national security documents have effectively abandoned the principle of exclusive self-defense. The acquisition of counterstrike capabilities and the doubling of military spending are now underway. The establishment of a Joint Operations Command for the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, along with the expansion of base construction and the deployment of long-range missiles, not only threaten the daily lives of local residents but also heighten tensions across the entire region. In South Korea, the deployment of THAAD missile systems and the establishment of space force units are advancing, while in Taiwan, military expansion driven by U.S. military assistance is accelerating. Furthermore, in addition to the Philippines and Australia, NATO countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Canada are now participating in military exercises in East Asia, intensifying preparations for war that assume intervention in the so-called “cross-strait issue.”
These moves to secure military superiority provoke a classic “security dilemma,” escalating arms races and military tensions that could ultimately lead to nuclear missile warfare. The fortification of the First Island Chain and the deployment of long-range missiles aimed at mainland China constitute a dangerous provocation reminiscent of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Moreover, these islands are home to civilian populations, and the construction of military facilities and deployment of military operations in residential areas constitute illegal acts that completely disregard the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants under international humanitarian law. At the same time, there exist alternative approaches in this region that emphasize dialogue and diplomacy over military force, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum. Efforts to promote regional security through multilateral dialogue and mutual understanding—rooted in the concept of “common security” once advocated by the Palme Commission—offer a path toward easing military tensions in East Asia. Working in cooperation with the wisdom and experience of ASEAN countries, we call for the realization of peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
Through cross-border international solidarity among civil society, let us change the course of militarization and become a force for peace throughout East Asia. Let us stand in solidarity with the growing global calls for the liberation of Palestine and for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and take action to pass peace on to future generations. We call broadly on individuals and organizations to endorse this appeal. Each person’s participation is a vital step toward stopping war in East Asia and opening a path to a peaceful future. We hereby call on the relevant governments, authorities, and international institutions to take the following actions:
Our Demands
１. Halt large-scale joint military exercises conducted by Japan, the United States, South Korea, and others that escalate military tensions in East Asia.
2. Abandon the construction of the new Henoko base, immediately close and remove Futenma Air Base, and halt the missile fortification of the Japanese archipelago.
3. Bring the Korean War to an end and stop military expansion, including the strengthening of U.S. military bases in South Korea and the deployment of THAAD missile systems in Seongju.
4. Japan and the United States must not intervene in the “Taiwan issue” (the cross-strait issue), which is a domestic matter of China.
5. Promote regional security through multilateral dialogue and mutual understanding, aiming for disarmament, de-escalation of tensions, and the prevention of war.
ZHAP(ZENKO Henoko Anti-base Project：全交辺野古反基地プロジェクト)
[E-mail] zenkoweb@gmail.com
[HP] https://zenko-peace.com/zhap
[Office Address] LAG Center, 1-6-21 Gamo, Joto-ku, Osaka, Japan TEL.: +81-90-8162-3004