DPJ chair Okada's statement in the U.S. undermines constitutional principles of peace -- Akahata editorial, August 1

In a speech delivered in the United States, Democratic Party of Japan President Okada Katsuya stated, "I favor revising the constitution to enable Japan to use force abroad, if a relevant United Nations Security Council resolution is in place, in order to positively contribute to maintaining world peace." He also said, "While I regard that the spirit of pacifism is important and must be maintained, "unlike opposition party leaders in the past, I'm not a champion of the Constitution."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hosoda Hiroyuki commended Okada statement saying, "This is a bold statement," and went on to say, "This issue needs to be fully discussed and studied." We cannot overlook what Okada said in step with the Koizumi Cabinet and the Liberal Democratic Party move toward an adverse revision of the Constitution.

By peaceful means

In the recent House of Councilors election, the DPJ called for the Constitution to be revised but stopped short of pointing to specific provisions to be amended.ﾊNote that he made such an important statement in the U.S. instead of attending the first day of the extraordinary Diet session. Isn't this a manifestation of Okada's attitude toward the U.S. which is something in common with Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and the LDP?

Did he say "'pacifism' must be preserved" without knowing what 'pacifism' means?

The Preamble of the Japanese Constitution states, "We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society striving for the preservation of peace." It also states, "We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace." Article 9 states, "Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."

If Okada wants the pacifist principles to be maintained, he should affirm that there is no need to revise the Constitution because constitutional principles explicitly call for a contribution to maintaining world peace instead of resorting to the use or threat of force. By advocating Japan's use of force abroad, Okada is blatantly undermining the constitutional principles of peace.

To circumvent this dilemma, Okada states that the SDF use of force abroad can be justified by United Nations Security Council resolutions. This, however, is also contrary to the world current for peace.

The U.N. Charter calls on member countries to maintain international peace and security instead of unilaterally going to war. It does not call on them to use force against other countries. It assumes collective measures to be taken against possible acts of aggression, but these measures do not necessarily lead to using force.

In the first place, the U.N. is an organization consisting of sovereign states. There is no guarantee that the UNSC will make decisions that are always justifiable in the eyes of all countries. It is a mistake to view a UNSC resolution as a trump card.

It is important that a movement calling for a new U.N.-based international order of peace is gaining momentum, and that working hard to promote this movement will help peacefully resolve international disputes and bring about a world without war.

Proposal to restore 'old Japan'

Japan established its constitutional principles of peace based on a fundamental remorse for its war of aggression abroad, pledging to play an international role by peaceful means to achieve a world without war as envisaged in the U.N. Charter.

Only by firmly standing for this path can Japan contribute to world peace. Okada now wants to discard Article 9. Contrary to the theme of his speech "A new Japan and the Japan-U.S. relationship in the 21st Century," his proposal for a Japan using force abroad is a return to the old Japan which waged wars of aggression. (end)