Citizens will be penalized for refusing to cooperate with war under wartime legislation

An outline of the proposal for wartime legislation that includes penal regulations against civilian disobedience came to light when the government presented the three ruling parties with a briefing paper.

The government plans to submit the bills to the Diet by April 10.

The government paper says that if Japan is attacked, the Security Council of Japan (chaired by the prime minister) will make a basic contingency plan to be approved by the Cabinet, followed by the establishment of a task force led by the prime minister to carry out the plan.

The task force head will be allowed to give instructions not only to central government bodies but also to local governments and public institutions.

The government intends to submit four bills to the Diet: a general law to provide for basic plans for dealing with outside armed attacks; a bill to adversely revise the Law on the Establishment of the Security Council of Japan; a bill to adversely revise the Self-Defense Forces Law to give SDF activities top priority; and a bill to free the U.S. Forces in Japan from domestic laws and regulations.

The bill to revise the SDF Law includes a provision that citizens who refuse to cooperate with the war will be punished.

Also under the law, the SDF will be allowed to use weapons even before they are officially ordered out.

The framework law says that several other laws are necessary and should be arranged within two years for imposing restrictions on the people's daily life, supporting the U.S. Forces activities, and stipulating treatment of prisoners. (end)