[Gipfelsoli Newsletter] Hokkaido -- Bukarest

[International Newsletter]

- A first shadow of G8 repression goes through Siberian Russia and Japan
- NEWSLETTER №１- "Independent Media Centre Sapporo
- Projectile - Anti Nato Week Call Out

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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 at 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/]