Page 120 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

C-Kushner.qxd 26-10-02 10:37 AM Page 94

94———Chukaku-ha

crimes, such as robberies, committed in order to fund the perceived imperialism of Japan’s government and
their organization. Chesimard ran into much more the close relations between Japan and the United States,
serious trouble with the law on May 2, 1973. While particularly the continued U.S. military presence in
driving on the New Jersey Turnpike with two friends, Japan. The tendency of hard-line elements within
Malik Zayad Shakur and Sundiata Acoli, Chesimard Japan’s radical groups to split off and form separate
was stopped by white state troopers, supposedly for a groups because of ideological disputes led to increasing
shattered headlight. From this point onward, exactly radicalism and created bitter rivalries. The Chukaku-ha
how the events unfolded is still debated; the outcome was typical; it began in the mid-1960s as the armed
was that Malik Zayad Shakur and trooper Werner wing of the Japan Revolutionary Communist League
Foerster were killed with Foerster’s gun. Trooper James and spawned two splinter groups of its own during that
Harper, Acoli, and Chesimard were all wounded. The turbulent decade.
state maintains that Chesimard either fired the gun from Chukaku-ha participated in many demonstrations in
point-blank range at Foerster or she was an accom- support of various causes during the 1960s, displaying
plice to the shooting; defenders of Chesimard claim a tendency toward violence as early as 1969, when
the trooper was killed accidentally by his partner. members are alleged to have killed a member of a rival
Chesimard was convicted of murder and sentenced to student group. The organization did not find a perfect
life in prison. cause until the early 1970s, however, when members
With the help of four friends who took a prison guard began to participate in demonstrations against the
hostage, she managed to escape from the Edna Mahan Narita Airport project. In 1966, the Japanese govern-
Correctional Facility for Women on November 2, 1979. ment announced the airport project without consulting
Chesimard now resides in Cuba, where she has been or even informing the 200 farming families who would
granted political asylum. There have been several be displaced. The farmers’ plight attracted substantial
efforts to have Chesimard extradited back into the public sympathy and led to widespread protests, with
United States to serve her full sentence. Chukaku-ha eventually moving into the forefront
of the anti-Narita struggle. In 1973, the group helped
See also BLACK PANTHER PARTY
erect 50-ft. steel towers next to the airport runway, thus
preventing planes from taking off.
Further Reading In May 1977, riots broke out at an anti-Narita
Shakur, Assata. Assata: An Autobiography. Westport, CT: protest; four people died, three policemen and a
Lawrence Hill, 1987. bystander. In March 1978, a week before the airport’s
Waggoner, Walter H. “Joanne Chesimard Convicted of long-delayed opening, 14 Chukaku-ha members
Killing New Jersey State Trooper.” New York Times, broke into the airport’s control tower; two reached the
March 26, 1977, 1. control room, where they took a sledgehammer to the
Williams, Evelyn. Inadmissible Evidence: The Story of a equipment, delaying the opening for several months.
Trial Lawyer Who Defended the Black Liberation Army. Protests have continued to cripple the facility, and
Chicago: Lawrence Hill, 1993.
36 years later, the airport is much smaller than origi-
nally planned.
During the mid-1980s, Chukaku-ha focused its
CHUKAKU-HA attention on opposing the proposed privatization of
Japan’s national rail company. During 1985 and
aka Middle Core Faction, Nucleus Faction
1986, it carried out dozens of punishment beatings of
several rail executives and of union members who
Chukaku-ha is a radical Japanese leftist terrorist supported privatization; several died from their
group best known for its 30-year struggle against the injuries. Chukaku-ha is thought to be responsible for
Narita Airport project. The group is currently believed more than 80 killings since its founding. On
to have about 3,500 members, of which several hundred November 29, 1985, Chukaku-ha sabotaged two key
form the active terrorist core. information transmitters that controlled train sched-
Chukaku-ha was born out of the leftist student uling and ticket ordering; millions of commuters
movement of 1960s Japan. From the start, Japan’s were affected. Also in 1985, the group began experi-
student radicals focused their opposition on two issues: menting with homemade rockets, launching the