2008-03-10

March 10th 2008 Hokkaido -- Bucharest

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A first shadow of G8 repression goes through Siberian Russia and Japan

After leaving Russian FSB detention, left activists is returned to sea by Sapporo authorities

Sapporo-Otaru. 10.03.08 – 13:00 GMT: The German left activist Dr. Martin Kraemer has been refused landing in the port of Sapporo-Otaru. He has been condemned by Japanese authorities to remain stay put on the Panama vessel BM-2, which had brought him from Sakhalin on Friday, 7th of March. “Just released from special confinement by the Russian political police FSB, it’s now the Japanese repressive forces who try to top them.

In Russia, I got kicked and received an official death threat in custody, but this is worse,” says Martin: “Today’s blow against Japanese dignity set in before I could even open my mouth in this splendid country.” The surprising decision by Japanese immigration officers was announced today after receiving central instructions at 16:00 o’clock local time (8:00 GMT). At that time, Dr. Kraemer had already spent 66 hours waiting in the port of Otaru to get landing permission.

Sapporo Esperanto activists and the German embassy in Tokyo tried to intervene favorably for Dr. Kramer, but all in vain. As a German citizen, Dr. Kraemer needs no visa to enter Japan. Landing permission for German tourists up to 90 days is normally a mere formality on entering Japan. Simultaneously, the eldest officer of Otaru Immigration control confirmed that according to his memory today’s refusal is an all time first for the port of Sapporo-Otaru. Today’s refusal was preceded by an 8 hours ordeal of repeated luggage searches virtually to the last sewing needle followed by meticulous cross examination of Dr. Kramer and the Japanese inviting part both alike in separated rooms respectively. Special emphasis was put on examining the question why Dr. Kraemer had been wearing a red hard-head on board of the ship and played the International on his trumpet when saying farewell to an enthusiast Russian crew on leaving the vessel. All this questioning however could bring up no presentable pretext for refusing Dr. Kraemer to land. “In the end they just hid behind paragraphs, they were cautious not to cite in detail,” records Martin Kraemer.

Dr. Kraemer is now in a special situation. He has been returned by force on the ship and refused permission to set his feet on Japanese soil whatsoever for the time being. However, the splendid hospitality of the Russian crew and captain welcoming him back after a long day has its limits. Their ship, which took Martin for free from Sakhalin to Hokkaido as a token of internationalist friendship, is to sail back to Russia on Friday. According to the Japanese authorities, Martin Kraemer is to stay with the crew, but his Russian visa has been cancelled on 6th of March by the port authorities of Korsakov (Russia). Within the next 72 hours he will now file a formal complaint will to the attention of the Japanese Ministry of Justice. If the ministry refuses to revoke today’s decision or if it takes longer than Friday to decide, the Japanese authorities will face the odd job of how to deport a German citizen from their waters, who has not even been granted to set foot on their soil.

Today’s arbitrary decision of the Japanese authorities foreshadows what is to come when hundreds and thousands of left activists will apply for landing in Japan to voice their protest against this year’s G8 summit near Sapporo.

“No matter whether Russian or Japanese Big Capital dictatorship: when G8 approaches they seem all united to kick us into the Pacific Ocean! Won’t stay under water for long, though,” promised Dr. Kraemer tonight: “Japan, we are coming!”

For further information: please call Mr. Torkler from the German embassy in Tokyo under +81-357917700 (or mobile +81-9017084960) and the Japanese Esperanto activist who has invited Dr. Kraemer to Sapporo under +81-11-717 41 89 (or mobile +81-9075147265).

The Russian member of the Duma Oleg Shein supports Dr. Kraemer after the incidents of FSB torture, please contact his assistant Andrej Demidov in Moscow under +7-495-6928906 (or mobile +7-926-2379977).

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NEWSLETTER №１- "Independent Media Centre Sapporo Preparatory Working Group" Launched
Independent Media Centre Sapporo Preparatory Working Group

* E-mail: imcsapporo@gmail.com Web
* site: http://imc-sapporo.blogspot.com

9 March, 2008

We are pleased to launch the Independent Media Centre Sapporo (IMC) Preparatory Working Group. This Group is working to establish IMC in Sapporo for the Hokkaido Toyako G8 summit.

The first Indymedia project was organized at the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, Washington. Since then, IMCs have been established at various key international meetings. We are proud of IMC Sapporo’s establishment especially since this is the first time for us to experience IMC in Japan.

The following is our space plan for the Independent Media:

* Video and Radio studio
* Video distribution space
* Text distribution space
* Radio distribution space
* Free space for meetings / Café / Lounge

We believe that IMC will not only transmit information but will also be a space for people from around the world to engage in dialogue. In order to make it more comfortable for non-Japanese speakers, we are organizing interpreters and translators in languages including English, Korean and Chinese.

We still have obstacles to confront in order to achieve our purpose at the G8 Summit. We appreciate your understanding and all of your support.

Symposium “Independent Media without Frontiers” From Sapporo to the world, the truth as transmitted by local citizens

* Date : 16 March 2008 (Sunday)
* Time : 13:00-17:30
* Address : Studio type Multipurpose Lecture Room, Center for Research and Development in Higher Education 3F, Hokkaido University, North 17, West 8,Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
* Map: www.hokudai.ac.jp/bureau/info-j/johokan-map.htm

Part 1, The situation and problems of Citizen Media in Hokkaido
Presider

* Hyun Mooam, Researcher from the Research Faculty of Media and Communication, Hokkaido University

Panelists

* Gabi Hadl, http://www.theforeigner-japan.com/archives/200612/harnessing_inner_japanese_activist.htm
* Tomomi Kato, In charge of the Independent Media Centre of G8 Summit Citizen Forum Hokkaido
* Yukihiro Abe, Independent Media Centre Sapporo Preparatory Working Group

Part 2, What role will the Independent Media play at the G8 Summit in Hokkaido?

Toward setting up the Independent Media Centre Sapporo
Presider:

* Shizuka Kimura, Independent Media Centre Sapporo Preparatory Working Group

Panelists

* Tetsuo Matsuura, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Japan: http://www.tcc117.org/amarcjp
* Yutaka Tsuchiya, Documentary Movie Director and Presider of Video Act !: http://www.videoact.jp
* Yukihiro Yasuda, G8 Media Network and Labor Net : http://www.labornetjp.org

translated by Kayoko Kimura, edited by Jun Stinson

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Projectile - Anti Nato Week Call Out

Projectile - is the autonomous anti-NATO summit in Bucharest / Romania. The happening is organized and held on the basis of self-organization, horizontal relations, mutual respect and responsibility. An organizational group is engaged in the preparation (search of the place, partial provision of the necessary facilities, spreading the information, raising soli money). However, nothing will work, if everybody at the gathering will not help to get food at the markets, organize work at the kitchen, cook, tidy up, clean the place after the end and so on. The main languages are Romanian and English. Everybody is encouraged to help organize necessary translation.

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF PARTICIPATION
We are against all kinds of discrimination. Therefore, to make this gathering come true and to make all the participants feel comfortable we recommend the following rules:

Respect other people’s personal space and opinions, even though they are not the same as yours, and do not create troublesome conditions for other participants.

Think about your boundaries and respect other people’s. Violence as well as abusive or aggressive behaviour towards others at the gathering will not be tolerated.

In our society, words have a lot of influence. There are plenty of words people demean each other with: chick, pussy, cunt, fag, dyke, slut, whore/kurva, gypsie ... . It seems like paying attention to your terminology should go without saying, but it’s not. Refuse to use offensive language or words. Oppressive language is banned at the gathering.

Restrict consumption of alcohol and soft drugs during the summit as much as possible, as well as during the events outside, because it can cause negative consequences
for people around you, for the summit in general and for you personally.

We strongly ask you not to bring hard drugs of any kind.

We reject the master/servant dichotomy. We take matters into our own hands. We arrange the relationships among ourselves in another way than what suggests the social normality. We battle against categories like ’gender’ or ’nation’. We develop our own norms. Or, at least we will try that. So be open for a change.

People deliberately creating troublesome conditions and/or putting the existence of the summit under threat, will be kicked out!!!

SOLI CONTRIBUTION

Since we don’t have enough finances to provide the summit completely, we need to ask for a soli contribution for food and electricity.

The summit takes place from the 28th of March till the 5th of April. During these days there is the possibility of sleeping and eating at the place. According to your stay we ask you to consider 1 euro for soli contribution per day.

’Projectile’ PLACE

If everything goes well, there will be a secure place in the centre of Bucharest. There will be space for meetings, workshops, library, distro’s and so on, as well as enough place to sleep. Toilets and electricity is in existence. Shower, provisional kitchen, and spaces for gatherings are assumed to be built.
As no heating is currently in existence, bring your ideas for alternative heating in or warm clothing/sleeping bag.
There is also space for wagons or busses.
If necessary, an unmixed space for women or groups with a certain requests could be arranged.
There will be a place for distribution and library. So take your distro’s with you!

MUST HAVE:

We ask you to bring with you at least:
a sleeping bag
a groundcloth
warm clothes
a plate, a cup, a spoon, a knife etc.
personal first-aid set
if you’re going to arrange a workshop, try to take everything you need with you.

How to organise meetings, workshops and discussions will be entirely up to us. We will find out during the summit how much structure is needed. A possibility could be a general meeting every morning.
In the beginning a general meeting will be held, in order to organize the necessary tasks (organizing food, cooking, cleaning), the list and timetable of seminars, workshops, movie projections, actions and so on.

All the decisions will be accepted on the basis of consensus by all participants.

We will try to provide the necessary equipment for cooking. We will not use any products of animal origin. But it does not mean that we cook for you, rather the whole life-support will depend on participation of everybody.

We don’t want to work and study only, but also to plan actions during the NATO summit (2nd till 4th of April) and have some fun. So we’re open to your suggestions and plan’s how to reach this.

LOCATION

The exact place and how to get there you will receive at your personal request by mail.
In any case you will need to reach Bucharest and then go accordingly to the information received at your e-mail.

To participate you need to contact us at:
request [at] contra-doxa.com

We are looking forward to see you there!

[http://contra-doxa.com/]