By Suzuka YOSHIDA
ON By Suzuka YOSHIDA 28 May, a pale old woman with a pale complexion left prison. She is Fusako Shigenobu. She was one of the masterminds of the numerous terrorist attacks that shook Japan in the 1960s and 70s and organized local people who were dissatisfied with their local politics across the Middle East. She had been internationally arranged as the mastermind of the Tel Aviv massacre and 1974 French Embassy attack in The Hague, and finally, she was arrested in 2000 when she lived in Osaka illegally using another person’s passport. She still has many supporters who want to listen to her. The Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency is concerned about her influence.
Founder of the Japanese Red Arm
Fusako Shigenobu began to devote herself to the radical student movement in the mid-1960s, and in 1969 she aimed to realize the communism of the world based on Marxism-Leninism, and she established the Communist League Red Army (abbreviation: The Red Army). The Red Army Faction, which she masterminded, carried out armed destruction in the two major cities of Japan, Tokyo and Osaka, in the name of “war.” She worked as a bank robber and post office robber and obtained funds for arming while conducting promotional activities to justify the armed struggle.
Also, as police arrests are imminent, the Red Army including her, made the pretext of causing a world revolution, and in 1971, some people went to Palestine in the Middle East, where many local people were dissatisfied with the rule, and organized the local people. The organization called itself the Red Army Arab Commission (Arab Red Army).
In 1972, the Arab Red Army caused an explosion at The Lod Airport massacre (Ben Gurion International Airport) near Tel Aviv, killing 26 passengers and injuring 80 people. In 1975, she and other members established the Japanese Red Army and caused the Kuala Lumpur incident (occupation of the US and Swedish embassies). In 1977 the Japanese Red Army hijacked aircraft Japan Air Lines Flight 472. From the beginning of the 1980s, she formed support organizations (“anti-war democratic front”) in Japan and Southeast Asia and participated in “anti-imperialist international brigades” to develop terrorist activities.
Although she did not take weapons in those cases, she was a mastermind and was woven and promoted, driving dissatisfied young people in Japan and around the world into terrorist activities.
She was specifically involved in the 1974 incident of an armed occupation of the French embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands, injuring police officers in battle. She had been internationally wanted on suspicion of imprisonment and was arrested in 2000 when she was found returning to Japan with an illegal passport. She complained that she had not made an actual assault in the proceedings, but finally was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy charges.
Shigenobu seems to have a very good sense of words that move people. Some young people who heard her agitation and resonated with her ideas became terrorists, while others became supporters who earned money while working. That is why she is called a “witch”.
Common language, large budget, economic benefits, not ideas, needed for modern terrorism
Japan had no readiness to prevent terrorist activities and arrest those extremists at that time and didn’t react quickly. This inadequate system has increased terrorists so the International Society criticized Japan as an incompetent state. After incidents caused by the Japanese Red Army, the Japanese Government has started a system and measures against terrorism finally.
The characteristics of modern terrorism are the large-scale and wide-area mobilization of large amounts of money and a large number of people. In my opinion, what is needed to achieve terrorism in modern times is as follows; -
1. The ability to speak inspiring words by manipulating languages spoken in a wide range of countries around the world. Those are English, Arabic, Spanish, and French (Chinese has a large population but is excluded because it is used in one country).
2. There must be a person/ group who can sustainably supply a large amount of budget or a division who can freely access the funds provided by the state.
3. Motivation to continue mobilizing people for generations. It’s not about brainwashing old-fashioned and useless ideas like communism, but about giving economic benefits really.
Regarding 1, Shigenobu could only speak Japanese. She, therefore, encouraged local dissatisfied molecules to form an illegal organization. Regarding 2, she raised funds and supporters by combining shabby activities and robbery, such as collecting donations and holding meetings, but that would not cause a series of major terrorist attacks. Regarding 3, she could destroy but not build. She is out of date as a terrorist.
Influenced by the Cuban Revolution
The Red Army, including Shigenobu, is influenced by the achievement of the Cuban Revolution (January 1959) achieved by Che Guevara. Success stories of people working together to oppose existing governments and dramatically overturning the political system by force and guerrilla operations had given Japanese youth a model at that time. Therefore, in the 1960s and 1970s, their primary purpose was to destroy the political system by using the word “revolution” and to encourage the uprising of many young people. They also quickly learned that shouting “revolution” made them stand at the forefront.
However, guerrilla warfare did not evoke Japanese sympathy. There was no need for a revolution because the war was finally gone in 1945, people have jobs, people enjoy a bright society, and people have the freedom they can vote for candidates who would speak for their opinions in elections. Above all, the Japanese knew that even if the world could be destroyed by the revolution, it would be impossible to build a new nation.
The Japanese were laughing at the “revolution” because they had repeated wars from the 12th century to the end of World War II in 1945. They have just escaped from such a difficult time.
Three requirements for the prevention of terrorism
It is possible to prevent both “revolution” and “terrorism” that express radical movements.
1. Do not make mismanagement that gives legitimacy to terrorists. The worst is the coup d’état in a way of containing the voices of the people.
2. Build an international network to prevent money laundering.
3. Collecting information through a human network + digital equipment and know-how.
Countries around the world, including Myanmar, must prepare these three requirements. 1 means the ability for domestic affairs, and 2 and 3 mean the diplomatic and economic powers to collaborate with other countries. Looking at the countries of the world from the perspectives of 1, 2 and 3, you can see the true national power that can express neither GDP nor UN Security Council P5 members.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusako_Shigenobu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Red_Army
