Government spends 9 billion yen to fuel coalition warships in ‘anti-terror’ operations in Indian Ocean

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government spends 9 billion yen to fuel coalition warships in ‘anti-terror’ operations in Indian Ocean

Ignoring fishermen’s demands for direct financial assistance to cover rising fuel costs due to soaring oil prices, the Japanese government is squandering nine billion yen a year to provide fuel to U.S. warships involved in the so-called “anti-terrorism” missions in the Indian Ocean.

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force fueling ships are deployed to the Indian Ocean on a mission to provide free oil to warships of the U.S. and other “coalition” partners.

MSDF vessels were redispatched to the Indian Ocean after the new Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law was enacted in January. Refueling by the MSDF had been suspended temporarily when the law expired at the end of 2007.

In the past five months since January, the SDF ships supplied them with 4,000 kiloliters of oil for vessels and 40 kiloliters of oil for helicopters.

From November 2001 to November 2007, the government spent about 58.7 billion yen on this mission under temporary laws enacted in response to U.S. demand.

In Japan, farmers and fishers, as well as small- and medium-sized enterprisers are hard hit by the increasing oil prices and small- and mid-sized fishing operations were forced to suspend fishing for a day or two throughout the country.

The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations is demanding that the government make up for fishermen’s losses due to fuel price rises.

However, the government has rejected the association’s demand.

Only 10.2 billion yen, being allotted as “special measures” by the government to meet the urgent need for fishing operations, includes payments for purchasing energy saving equipment. - Akahata, July 3, 2008