Japan Press Weekly

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2018 May 9 - 15 [POLITICS]

Ground Staff Office anticipated security laws would increase possibility of combat

It was found that internal documents of the Defense Ministry prepared shortly after the enactment of the national security-related legislation on September 19, 2015 stated that the legislation would "increase the possibility of carrying out battle duties".

Japanese Communist Party representative Kokuta Keiji at a Lower House Committee meeting on May 11 pointed out, "What these materials clearly state is completely different from the government explanation. The state authorities kept saying, 'For the Self-Defense Forces, to participate in a battle is not constitutionally permissible,' during Diet deliberations on the security bills, the so-called war bills, three years ago."

The materials dated September 28, 2015 are handouts given for executive meetings from the Ground Staff Office education and training department.

In addition to the possible increase in missions accompanied with military actions or joint operations with the U.S. or other foreign troops, the materials mentioned that Japan's use of the right to collective self-defense would also "increase the possibility of carrying out duties entailing a battle in collaboration with the United Nations or with other countries."

In response to Kokuta, Vice Defense Minister Yamamoto Tomohiro said, "They were just reference materials," while confirming the contents of the handouts.

Kokuta said, "These handouts were given for conferences held to unify perception about important issues with attendance of the chief of staff and top-ranking GSDF officials," and claimed that what is anticipated in the documents is the essence of the dangerous security legislation."

Past related articles:
> LDP and Komei forcibly enact war legislation [September 20 & 22, 2015]
> Shii condemns railroading of war bills [September 18, 2015]