Japan moves to loosen army's role

[Ray]

Japan moves to loosen army's role


Japan's lower house of parliament approves the bill
The bill next goes to parliament's upper house for approval
Japan's lower house of parliament has approved guidelines to amend the country's post-war pacifist constitution for the first time.

The bill now goes to the upper house and if passed, a referendum on changing the constitution to allow greater use of military force will be held.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to loosen the limits on military action.

Foreign deployments of Japan's self-defence force, like that to Iraq, currently require special legislation.

Greater world role

A military was formally banned when US occupation authorities drew up Japan's constitution in the wake of World War II.

But the document has been interpreted to allow a self-defence force which has been deployed in some peacekeeping and humanitarian missions abroad.

Soldiers from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force in Northern Kuwait, November 2004
Japan's troops have started to join international missions
Mr Abe has made constitutional change one of his top policy goals since being elected in 2006.

It is part of his efforts to make Japan more assertive on the world stage, with a military able to take part in peacekeeping missions overseas, says the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo.

Mr Abe has also said that Japan should remove its limits on collective self-defence and on helping allies under attack.

Critics of the proposed change say that the pacifist constitution has kept Japan out of war since the 1940s, allowing it to avoid the militarism of the early 20th century and focus on economic growth instead.

Supporters of an increased role for the military say Japan needs to play a greater role in the world and take more responsibility in maintaining global security.

The Japanese troops despatched to Iraq were sent on a humanitarian mission, with strict guidelines to only shoot in self-defence.

They were the first Japanese troops to enter a combat zone since World War II.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan moves to loosen army's role

One wonders if this will revive Japanese militarism.

From the point of view of keeping China under check, there is definitely a requirement for the western nations to allow Japan to shake off the post WW II restrictions.

It will ensure that the Pacific does not become China's backyard pool, which in any case, it is not because of the US presence. However, with the US getting embroiled in many areas, the pressure has to be relieved and Japan suitably fits the bill in East Asia.

However, many nations which have been under Japanese occupation during WWII will be far from being amused!

[Ironduke]

The only thing holding the Japanese back at this point are themselves.

[wkllaw]

Japanese militarism is definitely on the rise again as Japan tries to promote nationalism. Japan shouldn't worry about China because China isn't truly a threat for at least a decade. China maybe having a military buildup, but it's for Taiwan and China's leaders will be looking inward at China for a long time because of all the problems China faces.

[xrough]

I think it would be ok if the purpose is for them to have a great stance in humanitarian reasons and since they wanted to help..and Japan has all the resources for that and i think they know their past and they learned from it..

[wkllaw]

I think it would be ok if the purpose is for them to have a great stance in humanitarian reasons and since they wanted to help..and Japan has all the resources for that and i think they know their past and they learned from it..

They haven't learned from their past. They haven't come to grips with it, Germany has come to grips with their past, but not Japan. They continue to whitewash their crimes and in some cases deny it completely.

[Ray]

Japanese militarism is definitely on the rise again as Japan tries to promote nationalism. Japan shouldn't worry about China because China isn't truly a threat for at least a decade. China maybe having a military buildup, but it's for Taiwan and China's leaders will be looking inward at China for a long time because of all the problems China faces.

It is true that China is not a threat for the moment.

But I reckon they have to prepare for the day when China does become a threat!

Japan does not have the wherewithal to face that threat when China does come into position to dominate the global arena.

One wonders what Japan or any other country can do to ensure that China does not rise to become a threat to global stability or change the current geostrategic equilibrium.

[xrough]

Protests as Japan's PM urges new constitution


TOKYO - Japan marked the 60th anniversary of its pacifist constitution on Thursday amid protests and debate about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's renewed call for revision to reflect the nation's growing global influence.

Abe on Thursday reiterated his call to rewrite the US-imposed 1947 constitution in a bid to seek his vision of a more assertive Japan.

The current constitution "needs to be revised as its basic framework can no longer proceed with major changes in the administration system, relations between central and local governments, and foreign and security policies," Abe said in a statement.

Supporters and opponents alike held rallies and meetings nationwide to mark this year's Constitution Day on Thursday, reflecting the divisive nature of the plans of Abe, Japan's first premier born after World War II.

The most contentious issue is Article Nine, which renounces the right to maintain a military or even use of the threat of force as a means of settling international disputes.

Thousands of pacifist activists rallied through the capital to protest against the conservative premier's call for revising the absolute pacifism of the post-war constitution that has remained unchanged over the past 60 years.

"We oppose a revision that makes the constitution worse! We are against policies that make this country involved in US-led wars!" demonstrators chanted in a parade through Ginza shopping district in Tokyo.

"I decided to join the rally because I don't want war. Any changes to Article Nine would pave the way for involvement in wars," Takae Miyaguchi, a 58-year-old nurse, told AFP.

Meanwhile, a group of conservative lawmakers, academics and journalists held a forum in Tokyo to discuss how the constitution should be changed, and proposed a broad outline for a new text stipulating the existence of full-fledged troops, yet with the principle of pacifism.

A new constitution should "stipulate clearly the existence of troops for the purpose of self-defence," their proposal said.

But they also proposed to "firmly maintain the principle of renouncing war as a means of resolving international conflicts -- in other words, renouncing war of aggression."

The current constitution bars Japan from using or even threatening to use force as a way to settle international disputes, although the country skirts the rule by calling its troops "Self-Defence Forces."

Parliament is set to pass legislation on rules for a national referendum on rewriting the constitution -- a move likely to anger Asian neighbors who suffered under Japan's wartime aggression.

But Japan is far from an actual constitutional revision, as such a project would require approval from two-thirds of lawmakers before a draft went to a public referendum.

Latest polls conducted by local media show the majority of Japanese voters feel it is time to revise the pacifist post-war constitution, but still support the pacifism written in Article Nine.

Liberals argue that any revision to Article Nine would take Japan a step closer to engaging in armed conflicts.

Japan, which relies on the US for much of its national security, has been gradually boosting its military might, and in March deployed its first ballistic missile defense system amid growing concern about North Korea.

Japan's most high-profile mission was to send troops to Iraq on a reconstruction mission, although its forces were protected by soldiers from allied nations and returned home last year without firing a single shot.