Japan Press Weekly

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2016 October 26 - November 1 [POLITICS]

JCP opposes bills allowing increased military use of space

Bills leading to the further use of outer space for military purposes were approved on October 26 by the House of Representatives Cabinet Committee with the support of the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties and the opposition Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai. The Japanese Communist Party opposed the bills.

The bills are a space activities bill which governs space development businesses, such as a space rocket launching business and a satellite remote sensing bill which regulates the use and management of geospatical information.

Prior to the vote, JCP lawmakers Ikeuchi Saori and Shimazu Yukihiro used their question times to express their opposition to the bills.

JCP Ikeuchi pointed out that the space activities bill falls short of preventing a rocket launch and managing satellite operations for military purposes and criticized the bill for departing from the peaceful use of space.

Ikeuchi also said that the satellite remote sensing bill will allow the government to restrict the disclosure of information obtained through advanced space technologies under the pretext of preventing terrorism.

The JCP lawmaker stressed that the use and exploration of outer space should not violate the principle of “independence, democracy, and openness”. Noting that the remote sensing bill fails to set definite criteria for the restriction, Ikeuchi said that the government’s unilateral decision to ban the publication of geospatical images will violate the public right to know.

Regarding the space activities bill, JCP Shimazu pointed out the possibility that any Japanese rocket launch company can receive foreign orders to launch a military satellite.

Minister in charge of Japan’s space policy Tsuruho Yosuke fell short of actually denying the possibility.

Past related articles:
> People’s joint struggle in 1980s block military use of outer space [February 24, 2016]
> Gov’t will upgrade spy satellite capabilities [November 13, 2015]
> Government boosting use of space for military purposes [April 7, 2009]