'09 defense report calls for permanent overseas dispatches of SDF

Japan Press Weekly

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

'09 defense report calls for permanent overseas dispatches of SDF

Akahata editorial

The Defense Ministry's annual "Defense of Japan" report released on July 17 calls for enacting permanent legislation to enable the country to send Self-Defense Forces abroad any time.

The Defense Ministry published this report in haste because of the possible collapse of the ruling block of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komei Party in the upcoming House of Representatives general election slated for late August.

We cannot overlook the ongoing moves to turn Japan into a country that takes part in wars of aggression abroad together with the United States.

The annual defense report is deliberately playing up the supposed military threats from North Korea.

North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in contravention of a U.N. Security Council Resolution in 2006 and a joint statement from the Six Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear program. Although they are military provocations, the international community has not reacted to them militarily.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874 urges North Korea to give up on its nuclear program by invoking the U.N. Charter's Article 41 that stipulates, "measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed."

The Japanese government is emphasizing the need for Japan's military buildup using the North Korean moves and Chinese "military threats" as the pretext. But this runs counter to the will of the international community and isolates Japan in world opinion.

It is very serious that the defense report calls for overseas SDF dispatches to be carried out permanently using North Korean developments and the issue of international terrorism as the pretext.

While calling for upgrading the capabilities of SDF helicopter-borne destroyers, the defense report for the first time referred to the need to study the enactment of a permanent law for dispatching the SDF overseas.

Such legislation is in contravention of the war-renouncing Constitution.

What's worse, the government is justifying the overseas dispatches of the SDF by making use of the need to "fight piracy." It must be noted that the anti-piracy special measures law, if enacted, will allow the government to use force abroad without time limitations. We cannot allow even the proposal to enact such unconstitutional legislation.

In addition, by adding an item of "actions concerning the development and use of space," this year's defense report openly called for the use of outer space for military purposes. Japan's policy has been maintaining an exclusively peaceful use of space. In the event of overseas military operations, this will enable military communication and spy functions to report on enemy forces to the SDF and the U.S. forces.

The government has been explaining that overseas dispatches of the SDF are necessary to decrease threats on Japan. This is a copy of a phrase the former imperial government and military in prewar and wartime Japan used saying that 'Manchuria' in Northern China constitutes a "lifeline" for Japan. By employing this old logic once again, the Japanese government is triggering tensions among the neighboring countries.

Apparently, these attempts to drastically increase overseas military dispatch of the SDF are aimed to strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance. Enacting a perpetual overseas SDF dispatch law will mean another major violation of the Constitution.

It is high time for Japan to stop prioritizing the Japan-U.S. military alliance and shift to a pacifist diplomacy based on an independent and non-aligned policy.

- Akahata, July 19, 2009