February 13, 2025
Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Councilors Kami Tomoko and Yamazoe Taku took part in a meeting held between the NGO No War Network and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 12 in the Diet building.
The meeting took place in order for the NGO to inquire and comment on the government criteria for selecting which military equipment to provide to which countries under the Official Security Assistance (OSA).
Kami said, “The OSA framework leads to the strengthening of military blocs.” The JCP has been calling for the abolition of the OSA.
Imai Takaki, a steering committee member of the NGO, pointed out that given the OSA-covered countries, it is clear that they are encircling China. Referring to media reports that information gathered by the radar system Japan provided to the Philippines would be shared with the Self-Defense Forces, Imai expressed his concern that this would lead to the integration of the SDF with the Philippine military.
Imai said that the government explains that it decides on OSA recipients based on the situation of democratization and human rights there. He, however, pointed out that the Philippines reportedly cracks down on civil activists and suppresses human rights.
The OSA budget increased to eight billion yen in the proposed FY 2025 budget from two billion yen in FY 2023. Imai said, “I want the issue to be discussed in the Diet to put a brake on a further increase.”
An official of the Foreign Ministry said that OSA-covered countries are determined “by a comprehensive judgment” and that “it is difficult for the government to uniformly have objective criteria.” Regarding whether patrol craft Japan provides to other countries under the OSA may carry lethal weapons, the official said, “If there is such a need, we will consider that possibility.” The official also said, “The equipment we have provided to the Philippines so far is not worsening the human rights situation there.”
Past related articles:
> JCP Yamazoe calls for abolition of new program enabling provision of military aid to ‘like-minded countries’ [April 14, 2023]
> Kishida gov’t should not use aid to developing countries as tool to exclude China [April 9, 2023]
The meeting took place in order for the NGO to inquire and comment on the government criteria for selecting which military equipment to provide to which countries under the Official Security Assistance (OSA).
Kami said, “The OSA framework leads to the strengthening of military blocs.” The JCP has been calling for the abolition of the OSA.
Imai Takaki, a steering committee member of the NGO, pointed out that given the OSA-covered countries, it is clear that they are encircling China. Referring to media reports that information gathered by the radar system Japan provided to the Philippines would be shared with the Self-Defense Forces, Imai expressed his concern that this would lead to the integration of the SDF with the Philippine military.
Imai said that the government explains that it decides on OSA recipients based on the situation of democratization and human rights there. He, however, pointed out that the Philippines reportedly cracks down on civil activists and suppresses human rights.
The OSA budget increased to eight billion yen in the proposed FY 2025 budget from two billion yen in FY 2023. Imai said, “I want the issue to be discussed in the Diet to put a brake on a further increase.”
An official of the Foreign Ministry said that OSA-covered countries are determined “by a comprehensive judgment” and that “it is difficult for the government to uniformly have objective criteria.” Regarding whether patrol craft Japan provides to other countries under the OSA may carry lethal weapons, the official said, “If there is such a need, we will consider that possibility.” The official also said, “The equipment we have provided to the Philippines so far is not worsening the human rights situation there.”
Past related articles:
> JCP Yamazoe calls for abolition of new program enabling provision of military aid to ‘like-minded countries’ [April 14, 2023]
> Kishida gov’t should not use aid to developing countries as tool to exclude China [April 9, 2023]
