ＮＧＯ職員殺害

(Aug. 29, 2008) The Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan needs to keep up efforts on Afghan stability
ＮＧＯ職員殺害　アフガン安定へ協力を続けよ（8月29日付・読売社説）

The worsening security situation in Afghanistan since last year has at last claimed a Japanese victim.
昨年以来、深刻な治安悪化が続くアフガニスタンで、ついに日本人の犠牲者が出てしまった。

The kidnapping of aid worker Kazuya Ito near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan ended in tragedy when his body was found Wednesday.
アフガン東部ジャララバード近郊で誘拐された民間活動団体（ＮＧＯ）「ペシャワール会」職員、伊藤和也さんが、遺体で発見された。事件は最悪の結末を迎えた。

Ito worked for the nongovernmental organization Peshawar-kai and had been engaged in agricultural training activities, such as cultivation of rice and vegetables, in Afghanistan for five years. With high aspirations, he toiled hard and integrated himself into the local community, building strong relationships of trust with residents. He must have been extremely saddened by how it all ended.
伊藤さんは５年前から、米や野菜の栽培など、農業指導に取り組んでいた。高い志を抱き、異国の地で汗を流す中、現地住民にも溶け込み、強い信頼関係を築いていた。極めて無念だったろう。

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A sign of Afghanistan's plight
(アフガンの状態を如実に示すもの)

The Taliban, which once controlled Afghanistan, have admitted to involvement in the incident. Not only foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan fighting armed insurgents, but also civilians of goodwill who work hard to give humanitarian aid, have been targeted by terrorists. The incident is symbolic of the severity of the current situation in Afghanistan.
アフガンの旧支配勢力タリバンが事件への関与を認めている。武装勢力を掃討する駐留外国軍兵ばかりでなく、人道支援に尽力する善意の民間人までが、テロの標的となる。現在のアフガン情勢の厳しさを象徴するものだ。

Out of concerns over the worsening security situation, the Peshawar-kai began to let about 20 Japanese staff members working in Afghanistan and Pakistan return home in stages starting from late last year. But about half of them continued to stay for such reasons as wrapping up their aid activities.
ペシャワール会は昨年末から、治安悪化を踏まえて、日本人スタッフ約２０人を順次、帰国させている最中だった。だが、支援活動に区切りをつけるなどの事情から、約半数は滞在を続けていた。

The Foreign Ministry since July last year has been issuing advisory warnings for Japanese nationals in all parts of Afghanistan to leave the country. But about 140 Japanese, including Japan International Cooperation Agency employees and NGO members, are still in Afghanistan.
外務省は昨年７月以降、アフガン全土に退避勧告を出しているが、同国内には、国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）、ＮＧＯ関係者ら１４０人以上がとどまっている。

There are limits to how well unarmed civilians can protect themselves. Given the current situation in Afghanistan, where a spate of suicide attacks by terrorists and the kidnapping of foreigners have taken place, now probably is the time for the workers to think first about their safety and seriously consider returning home or temporarily leaving Afghanistan.
丸腰の民間人の自衛には限界がある。自爆テロや外国人の誘拐が続くアフガンの現状を踏まえれば、安全を優先して一時出国や帰国を検討する時ではないか。

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A commitment to the world
（国際社会の一員として）

Japan, however, needs to continue to play a part in actions with the international community on restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan.
一方で、日本としては、アフガンの平和と安定を回復する国際社会の共同行動の一翼を担う態勢を堅持する必要がある。

Japan has extended 1.45 billion dollars in aid for Afghan reconstruction, and the Maritime Self-Defense Force has been engaged in refueling activities in the Indian Ocean. Economic assistance and humanitarian contributions are like two wheels of one cart; both are indispensable.
日本は従来、１４・５億ドルのアフガン復興支援と、海上自衛隊によるインド洋での給油活動を実施してきた。経済支援と人的貢献は、いわば「車の両輪」であり、どちらも欠かすべきではない。

In reconstruction aid, Japan has focused on not only improvement work for roads and airports but also efforts to improve the security situation through such actions as the disarmament of former soldiers and military cliques. The refueling activities are aimed at supporting multinational naval forces that monitor the movement of terrorists and the trafficking of arms and drugs.
復興支援では、道路、空港の整備のほか、元兵士や軍閥の武装解除など治安改善にも力を注いできた。給油活動は、テロリストの移動や武器・麻薬の輸送を監視する多国籍海軍を支援するものだ。

Troops from 40 nations are now engaged in security enforcement and regional reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, pushing on despite suffering more than 900 casualties. Compared to this, the refueling activities involve extremely low risk. If Japan stops even these activities, the nation's reputation in the eyes of the world will plunge to unprecedented lows.
アフガンでは、４０か国の部隊が９００人超の犠牲者に耐えつつ、治安維持や地域復興活動に従事している。それと比べれば、極めて危険が少ない給油活動さえもやめるようでは、日本に対する国際社会の評価は地におちるだろう。

Japan should never be indifferent about the international campaign to help Afghanistan stabilize and eliminate terrorist activities. It is essential for the nation to pass a bill to revise the new Antiterrorism Law to allow the extension of refueling activities in the extraordinary Diet session to be convened next month.
アフガンを安定させ、テロを撲滅する戦いは、日本にとって決して人ごとではない。来月召集の臨時国会で、給油活動延長のための新テロ対策特別措置法改正案を成立させることは必須の課題だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 29, 2008)
（2008年8月29日01時49分 読売新聞）