We Won’t Accept the Unjust Ruling by the Tokyo District Court 〜 Defending the Right to Learn for Children In Japan’s Korean Schools

 

At 6:30pm on October 25^th, a nationwide rally to “defend the right to learn for children in Japan’s Korean schools” was held at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. As rally-goers holding umbrellas surrounded the outdoor stage in the pouring rain, a student at Korea University opened the rally with a song titled “Voices Gather and Become Song.” No matter how many times one listens to it, the lyrics are deeply moving: “How much more do I have to shout? There’s a voice that’s been taken away again and again.” “Given that the exclusion of Korean Schools from government subsidies undermines the main goal of the policy, politicizes education, infringes upon the rights and interests of students—as shown by the attorney team’s clear and persuasive argument and the government’s incoherent responses during witness testimony—we were 100% certain that we would win the case,” SHIN Gil-ung, head of the Korean School Principals Association, said in his introductory remarks. “But the Court coldly dismissed the plaintiffs’ demands.” For the students who had been awaiting the victory outside the Tokyo District Court on September 13^th, the decision they received instead was an unjust one—how frustrating and angering that must have felt. (OZAWA Kuniko)

東京地裁の不当判決に負けない！〜朝鮮学校の子どもたちに学ぶ権利を！全国集会

10月25日午後6時半、東京の代々木公園において「朝鮮学校の子どもたちに学ぶ権利を！全国集会」が行われた。降りしきる雨の中、野外ステージで傘をさしながら集会は始まった。オープニングは朝鮮大学生の「声よ集まれ、歌となれ」の歌。「どれだけ叫べばいいのだろう　奪われ続けた声がある」の歌は、いつ聞いても胸に迫るものがある。主催者あいさつで全国朝鮮高級学校校長会会長の慎吉雄さんは「朝鮮学校の排除は無償化法の趣旨を逸脱し、教育に政治を持ち込み、生徒たちの権利と利益を著しく侵害した違法なものであるとの単純明快で説得力のある弁護団の主張と、証人尋問での政府側のしどろもどろの答弁を目の当たりにし、裁判の勝利を100％確信していた。しかし裁判長は原告の訴えを冷たく退けた」と話した。9月13日、東京地裁の前で勝訴を待ちわびていた生徒たちに届いたのは「不当判決」。どれほど悔しく、腹立たしかったろう。（尾澤邦子） 報告

National rally to defend the right to study in Korean schools -- Fight on for free tuition!

On February 21th, a national rally to demand the right to learn at Korean Schools was held at the Tokyo Korean Junior  & Senior High School as part of the joint action to support the Korean High School Case. 1200 participants watched a video message made by Korean High School students and enjoyed a drama “Chogori” performed by Korean students studying in Japan. The organizer of the meeting, HASEGAWA Kazuo explained the significance of the meeting. “March 20^th, 2013 is a humiliating day when Korean schools were excluded from the free tuition system. The Japanese government have tried to wipe out ethnic education for Koreans many times, but we have fought hard to defend ethnic schools. Presently, we are fighting nationwide against the discrimination on Korean schools and to support the lawsuits to stop the cut of subsidy to Korean schools from the local governments. Today, we have students from Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka here in this meeting. Students from Aichi were also there at the rally in front of the Ministry of Education and Culture yesterday. High schools students in five districts have stood up and are suing the governments for their rights. Let’s fight to the end!”

(OZAWA Kuniko)

「朝鮮学校で学ぶ権利を！」全国集会開かれる～無償化の実現めざして
 

 2月21日（土）、東京朝鮮中高級学校・講堂において、朝鮮高校生裁判支援全国統一行動「朝鮮学校で学ぶ権利を！」全国集会が行われました。集会には約 1200人が参加し、朝鮮高校生が作成したビデオメッセージや、在日本朝鮮留学生同盟による演劇「チョゴリ」を見ました。主催者あいさつで長谷川和男代表 は「2013年2月20日は、朝鮮学校を無償化から排除した屈辱的な日。日本政府が民族教育の灯を何度も消そうとする中で、民族学校を守り、闘ってきたその思いを消させたくない。朝鮮学校差別反対運動の更なる高揚と裁判勝利のため、全国各地で闘っている。今日ここには大阪、広島、福岡からも参加している。 昨日の文部科学省に対する行動には愛知からも来ていた。5つの地域で裁判闘争に立ち上がった高校生たちは、国を相手取って自分たちの権利を主張している。 勝利の日まで闘おう」と話しました。（尾澤邦子）