Japan Press Weekly

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2015 June 24 - 30 [JCP]

Shii speaks to foreign journalists about dangerous nature of war bills

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 23 talked about how extraordinary and dangerous the Abe administration’s security legislation is from the viewpoint of modern international norms at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.

International understanding of “logistics support” is that it is indispensable for combat operations. To gloss over this, the Abe administration has used doubletalk, saying that “the use of weapons is not the same as the use of force” and “rear-area support which is not integral to the use of force doesn’t amount to the use of force,” Shii explained. These assertions elicited laughter among the foreign journalists present.

Prime Minister Abe responded to questioning by Shii in Diet deliberations that Japan will not exercise the right to collective self-defense for countries which engage in unlawful armed activities, but Japan has never opposed any of the preemptive strikes the United States launched on other countries in the past. “Who can possibly believe such a hypocritical claim?” Shii said to foreign reporters.

The postwar international order has been based on the basic understanding that Japan, Germany, and Italy waged wars of aggression. However, Prime Minister Abe refuses to acknowledge that Japan’s past war was wrong or aggressive. Shii argued that the administration, which does not even accept the war was a war of aggression, is now going ahead with the enactment of the war legislation. It will be extremely dangerous to the world, stated the JCP chair.

Shii in conclusion said, “The ruling forces yesterday used their majority to push forward the considerable extension of the current Diet session, but whether the war bills actually become laws or not is up to the extent of public opposition.” He expressed his determination to continue to proactively engage in Diet debate to reveal the danger of the war legislation and to work with citizens’ movements to drive the Abe administration into a corner it cannot escape from.

One of the correspondents after listening to Shii’s talk commented that he now understood in detail that the Abe administration is running counter to the global trend, requesting that the JCP offer more information.

Past related artciles:
> The name JCP has historical significance: Shii to the foreign press [December 9, 2014]
> Shii explains to PM way to solve Senkaku, US rape, Osprey issues [October 23, 2012]
> Shii speaks at Foreign Correspondents’ Club [May 20, 2010]
> Shii explains tasks of JCP as ‘constructive opposition party’ [August 22, 2009]
> Why is the JCP so vigorous? [March 5, 2009]
> How JCP wages Upper House election campaign: Shii speaks to foreign journalists [July 4, 2007]