March 24, 2017
The House of Representatives at its plenary session on March 23 approved the latest Japan-U.S. Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), with the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Nippon Ishin no Kai parties voting in favor. The Japanese Communist Party opposed the agreement as it is designed to support unjust U.S. wars worldwide.
Prior to the vote at the plenary session, JCP lawmaker Miyamoto Toru took the rostrum to object to the bilateral agreement. He said that the Japan-U.S. ACSA will create a system which enables the U.S. military to receive supplies of necessary goods, weapons, and services from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces anytime, anywhere.
Miyamoto said that reflecting the war laws, the agreement will allow the SDF to provide a much wider range of logistics support for the U.S. Forces and even permit the provision of munitions, which successive Japanese governments considered to be in conflict with the Constitution. Providing munitions to foreign troops in military operations is little different from the use of force abroad, which is unconstitutional for the SDF, the JCP lawmaker stressed.
Miyamoto pointed out that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo gives top priority to the Japan-U.S. alliance. The JCP lawmaker warned that if the Abe government strengthens military cooperation with the Trump administration, it would increase anxieties among Japan’s neighboring countries and create a vicious cycle of increasing tension leading to military responses. Miyamoto said that Japan should stick to the principle of the war-renouncing Constitution which was established based on remorse over the past war of aggression and that the Japanese government should engage in sincere efforts to create a peaceful environment in northeast Asia.
On the same day, ACSAs with Australia and Britain were also passed in the Lower House. The JCP voted against both. The three agreements have been sent to the House of Councilors.
Past related articles:
> US military in Japan intends to mobilize civilian transport companies for munitions deliveries [March 1, 2017]
> Japan and US sign revised agreement to step up logistic cooperation [September 27, 2016]
Prior to the vote at the plenary session, JCP lawmaker Miyamoto Toru took the rostrum to object to the bilateral agreement. He said that the Japan-U.S. ACSA will create a system which enables the U.S. military to receive supplies of necessary goods, weapons, and services from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces anytime, anywhere.
Miyamoto said that reflecting the war laws, the agreement will allow the SDF to provide a much wider range of logistics support for the U.S. Forces and even permit the provision of munitions, which successive Japanese governments considered to be in conflict with the Constitution. Providing munitions to foreign troops in military operations is little different from the use of force abroad, which is unconstitutional for the SDF, the JCP lawmaker stressed.
Miyamoto pointed out that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo gives top priority to the Japan-U.S. alliance. The JCP lawmaker warned that if the Abe government strengthens military cooperation with the Trump administration, it would increase anxieties among Japan’s neighboring countries and create a vicious cycle of increasing tension leading to military responses. Miyamoto said that Japan should stick to the principle of the war-renouncing Constitution which was established based on remorse over the past war of aggression and that the Japanese government should engage in sincere efforts to create a peaceful environment in northeast Asia.
On the same day, ACSAs with Australia and Britain were also passed in the Lower House. The JCP voted against both. The three agreements have been sent to the House of Councilors.
Past related articles:
> US military in Japan intends to mobilize civilian transport companies for munitions deliveries [March 1, 2017]
> Japan and US sign revised agreement to step up logistic cooperation [September 27, 2016]
