Ex-President Alberto Fujimori gave a lecture at Takushoku University and then received an appointment as a visiting professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo, Japan where he has taken up residence since fleeing from Peru in November 2000. A group of academics and and other Peruvianists responded to this news by drafting a letter to the University and the Govenrment of Japan. They also distributed the letter to the news media, at least, those with an interest in Peru.
Although the letter started as an initiative of members of the Latin American Studies Association's Peru Section, but it is not a statement of that group.
The text of the letter follows.
(April 3, 2002)
A Letter to Takushoku University and the Government and People of Japan:
We are a group of concerned academics and professionals—primarily from the United States, Canada, and Peru—who have expertise in Latin America, including Peru. We come from diverse fields and have a wide range of political perspectives. We write this letter completely on our own initiative.
We are deeply troubled by the news that the former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, has received an appointment as a visiting professor at Takushoku University and is being treated with great deference by many leading Japanese politicians, journalists, and citizens.
Although we respect academic freedom and Mr. Fujimori’s rights and liberties, we fear that he is using the goodwill and generosity of the Japanese people to evade responsibility for official misconduct and possible crimes committed while he served as president of Peru. We are appalled by reports that Mr. Fujimori may even seek political office in Japan.
At the time that this petition was drafted in early February 2002, three specific charges against Mr. Fujimori were being investigated by public prosecutors in Peru. The most serious charge is involvement in the murders of 26 civilians in two separate cases ("Barrios Altos" and "La Cantuta"). Mr. Fujimori is also under investigation for illegally channeling U.S. $15 million to his top security advisor, Vladimiro Montesinos, and for abandoning his office. It is quite likely that Mr. Fujimori will face additional charges in the future.
Mr. Fujimori, like any other person charged with a crime, should be considered innocent until proven guilty. We are, however, concerned that Mr. Fujimori is cultivating favor among political leaders, institutions, and public opinion in Japan so that he can evade responsibility for any charges that may be duly brought against him by the Peruvian judicial system.
Moreover, in addition to any criminal acts that he may have committed, there is overwhelming evidence that Mr. Fujimori is politically responsible for frustrating the development of democratic institutions in Peru, subverting the rule of law, violating civil liberties, stifling freedom of the press, and undermining the integrity of the electoral process. Whereas Mr. Fujimori has repeatedly used the threat of terrorism to justify most any action, many of the worst abuses of his presidency took place after the defeat of the Shining Path and Túpac Amaru terrorist movements.
We respectfully call on Takushoku University to reconsider its appointment of Mr. Fujimori as a visiting professor, so as not to legitimize his undemocratic actions or possible criminal conduct. We hope that the Japanese government, press, and people will carefully consider Mr. Fujimori’s full record as the president of Peru, not just the misleading version that he disseminates. (We would be happy to provide references to an extensive scholarly literature on Mr. Fujimori’s presidency.)
Finally, and most importantly, we hope that Japan will honor any official request for extradition that may be forthcoming from the government of Peru. Such a course of action would demonstrate Japan’s concern for justice and enhance its good name among the democracies of the world.
Respectfully submitted.
Carlos Aguirre, University of Oregon, USA
Elena Álvarez, State University of New York, Albany, USA
Bethsabé Andía Pérez, Instituto Runa de Desarrollo y Estudios Sobre Género, Peru
Moisés Arce, Louisiana State University, USA
Alexandra Barahona de Brito, Moderna University, Portugal
Robert Barros, Universidad Nacional de San Andrés, Argentina
Fabiola Bazo, International Consultant, Canada
Susan Fitzpatrick Behrens, University of California, San Diego, USA
Judy Beneventi-Maynard, The American School in Japan
Robert A. Benfer, University of Missouri, USA
Beverly Bennett, Adrian College, USA
Silvia Bermúdez, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Andrés Blondet, Independent Consultant, Peru
Ernesto Bohoslavsky, Universidad Nacional de Comahue, Argentina
William Bollinger, California State University, Los Angeles, USA
Steve Bourget, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Chris Boyer, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Herbert Tico Braun, University of Virginia, USA
Flora Breidenbach, College of DuPage, USA
Jeff Browitt, Monash University, Australia
Amy J. Buono, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Sean Burges, University of Warwick, UK
Jo-Marie Burt, George Mason University, USA
Luis José Bustamante, Oberlin College, USA
Lila Caimari, Universidad Nacional de San Andrés, Argentina
José Camacho, Rutgers University, USA
Maxwell A. Cameron, University of British Columbia, Canada
John M. Carey, Washington University, St. Louis, USA
Julio Carrión, University of Delaware, USA
Silvina Carrizo, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil
Leah Carroll, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Gerardo Castillo, University of Oklahoma, USA
Marc Chernick, Georgetown University, USA
Michelle Clayton, Princeton University, USA
Richard L. Clinton, Oregon State University, USA
Catherine M. Conaghan, Queen's University, Canada
Alberto Corsin, University of Oxford, UK
Javier A. Couso, Universidad Diego Portales, Chile
Mark Cox, Presbyterian College, USA
John Crabtree, Oxford University, UK
Adriana Crocker, Northern Illinois University, USA
Keri Culver, George Washington University, USA
William W. Culver, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, USA
Lucia Dammert, Universidad de Chile
Richard Dawson, Dawson Associates International, Inc., USA
Bartholomew Dean, University of Kansas, USA
Juan E. de Castro, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Carlos Mario del Castillo, Laval and Sherbrooke Universities, Canada
Miguel Angel del Castillo, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Giancarla Di Laura, Rockford College, USA
Paulo Drinot, University of Oxford, UK
Joanna Drzewieniecki, Universidad de Lima, Peru
Grover Antonio Espinoza, Columbia University, USA
Eduardo Alejandro Espinoza Gonzales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Christina Ewing, University of Pennsylvania, USA
María Fernández, National Agrarian University, Peru
Janice Fiola, Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA
Paul Firbas, Princeton University, USA
Samuel Fitch, University of Colorado, USA
Jan L. Flora, Iowa State University, USA
Juan Fonseca, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Lydia Fossa, University of Arizona, USA
James Foster, George Washington University, USA
Lidia Clara García, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Iñigo García Bryce, New Mexico State University, USA
Leo J. Garofalo, Franklin and Marshall College, USA
Moisés Gaviria, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Paul Gelles, University of California, Riverside, USA
Joan Gero, American University, USA
Oliver Glave, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
David Goldberg, Beloit College, USA
Paul Gootenberg, SUNY at Stony Brook, USA
Carol Graham, The Brookings Institution, USA
Daniel Graham, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Richard Graham, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Eleanor Griffis, Peruvian Times, Peru
Sonia Guillen, Centro Mallqui, Peru
Jutta Gutberlet, University of Victoria, Canada
Michael T. Hamerly, Brown University, USA
Anne Hanley, Northern Illinois University, USA
Frances Hayashida, Pennsylvania State University, USA
Maureen Hays-Mitchell, Colgate University, USA
Aline Helg, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Jane Henrici, University of Memphis, USA
Catalina Hidalgo, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Lisa Hilbink, Princeton University, USA
Steven Hirsch, University of Pittsburgh-Greensburgh, USA
Jennifer S. Holmes, University of Texas at Dallas, USA
Søren Hvalkof, NORDECO, Denmark
Ruth Iguíñiz, New School University, USA
Carlos Manuel Indacochea, George Washington University, USA
Fernando Javier Indacochea, West Virginia University, USA
Bryant Ives, Arizona State University, USA
Nils Jacobsen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
María Mercedes Jaramillo, Fitchburg State College, USA
Jorge Jeria, Northern Illinois University, USA
Lucille Lewis Johnson, Vassar College, USA
Carlos Juárez, Hawaii Pacific University, USA
Daphne Kelgard, Institute of Andean Studies, USA
Charles Kenney, University of Oklahoma, USA
Peter Klarén, George Washington University, USA
Charles David Kleymeyer, Center for the Support of Native Lands, USA
Steven Kosiba, University of Chicago, USA
Deborah Laporta, Universidad Cayetano Heredia, Peru
Paulina Ledergerber, Smithsonian Institution, USA
Patricia Ledesma Liébana, Northwestern University, USA
Monique J. Lemaitre, Northern Illinois University, USA
Javier F. Leon, University of Texas at Austin, USA
M. Barbara Leons, Towson University, USA
Steve Levitsky, Harvard University, USA
Linda Lewin, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Javier Lizarzaburu, BBC World Service, UK
Mildred F. López , University of Connecticut, USA
María E. Mannarelli, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Nelson Manrique, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Lisa Markowitz, University of Louisville, USA
Ismael P. Márquez, University of Oklahoma, USA
Domingo Martínez Castilla, University of Missouri, USA
Erynn Masi de Casanova, University of California, San Diego, USA
Enrique Mayer, Yale University, USA
Frank D. McCann, University of New Hampshire, USA
Cynthia McClintock, George Washington University, USA
Ellen McCracken, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Gerald A. McDermott, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Carmen McEvoy, University of the South, USA
Christine McIntyre, Wittenberg University, USA
Stephanie McNulty, George Washington University, USA
Ricardo Melgar Bao, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia de México
Cecilia Méndez, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Eloy Merino, Northern Illinois University, USA
Carol Milk Reyes, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Peru
Iván Millones, SUNY at Stony Brook, USA
Ann Moore, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Thomas Moore, ARD., Inc., Colombia
Tricia Mulligan, George Washington University, USA
Liisa L. North, York University, Canada
Suzanne Oboler, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Álvaro Ochoa-Serrano, El Colegio de Michoacán, Mexico
Aldo Panfichi, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Carlos A. Parodi, Illinois State University, USA
Vincent Peloso, Howard University, USA
Thomas Perreault, Syracuse University, USA
Charles A. Piano, Kenyon College, USA
James W. Plunkett, American Chamber of Commerce of Peru
Joseph E. Potter, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Ana María Presta, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jason Pribilsky, Syracuse University, USA
Susan C. Quinlan, University of Georgia, USA
Alicia Quintana Sánchez, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Enver Quinteros Peralta, Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal del Huamanga, Peru
Alfonso Quiroz, City University of New York, USA
Francisco Quiroz Chueca, City University of New York, USA
Gabriela Ramos, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Russell W. Ramsey, Troy State University, USA
Joanne Rappaport, Georgetown University, USA
Rebecca Reiss-Korc, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, USA
Gerardo Rénique, City University of New York, USA
José Luis Rénique, City University of New York, USA
Pedro G. Ríos, La Raza Centro Legal, USA
Jonathan Ritter, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Kenneth Roberts, University of New Mexico, USA
Fernando Robles, George Washington University, USA
Rolando Rojas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Mauricio Romero, IEPRI, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Henrik Ronsbo, Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victims, Denmark
James Rudolph, Planning Assistance, Peru
Christopher Sabatini, National Endowment for Democracy, USA
Cristina Saenz de Tejada, Goucher College, USA
Cynthia Sanborn, Harvard University, USA
James Sanders, Brooklyn College, USA
Victoria Sanford, University of Notre Dame, USA
Suzana Sawyer, University of California, Davis, USA
Gregory D. Schmidt, Northern Illinois University, USA
Ben Ross Schneider, Northwestern University, USA
Marcy Schwartz, Rutgers University, USA
Martin Scurrah, Oxfam America, Peru
Dennis L. Seager, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
Linda J. Seligmann, George Mason University, USA
Mala Shah, Yale University, USA
Jeanette E. Sherbondy, Washington College, USA
Rachael Sieder, University of London, UK
William L. Siemens, Association of Colombianists, USA
Myriam Smith, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Natalia Sobrevilla, University of London, UK
Sixto C. Soto, University of Illinois, USA
Karen Spalding, University of Connecticut, USA
Silvia Spitta, Dartmouth College, USA
David M. Stemper, Independent International Consultant, USA
Marcia Stephenson, Purdue University, USA
Finn Stepputat, Centre for Development Research, Denmark
Steve J. Stern, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
David G. Sweet, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
Martín Tanaka, Instituto de Estudios Peruanos, Peru
Myriam Noemí Tarragó, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Teivo Teivainen, University of Helsinki, Finland
Elena Telles Huamán, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Kimberly Theidon, Syracuse University, USA
John R. Topic, Trent University, Canada
Ann Towns, University of Minnesota, USA
Erika N. Trigoso, University of Arizona, USA
Lidio M. Valdez, University of Alberta, Canada
Alejandra Vallejo, Tulane University, USA
Donna Lee Van Cott, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
Harry Van Oudenallen, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
Ernesto Vásquez del Águila, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
Alejandro Vela Quico, Universidad Nacional de San Augustín, Peru
Angela Vergara, University of California, San Diego, USA
Teresa Vergara, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
Víctor Vich, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Péru
Javier F. Villalobos, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Magda von der Heydt-Coca, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Charles Walker, University of California, Davis, USA
Thomas Ward, Loyola College (Baltimore), USA
Adam Warren, University of California, San Diego, USA
William Waters, George Washington University, USA
Elka Weinstein, The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts, Canada
W. Michael Weis, Illinois Wesleyan University, USA
Edward Wellin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
Monica Witzman, Nieder-Olm, Germany
Darrin Wood, ITESO, Mexico
Alicia Yamin, Columbia University, USA
Deborah J. Yashar, Princeton University, USA
Coletta A. Youngers, Washington Office on Latin America, USA
George Yudice, New York University, USA
Luis E. Zayas, State University of Buffalo, USA
Irene Zimmermann, U.S. Census Bureau
Clarence Zuvekas, Jr., Independent Consultant, USA
Please note: Institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.