Japan Press Weekly

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2008 April 16 - 22 [PEACE]

Young lawmakers in pro-national defense caucus resume activities

A pro-military buildup parliamentary caucus of young Dietmembers from the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties and the opposition Democratic Party will resume its activities after an interval of three years.

The “Young Dietmembers’ Association for a Security Structure in the New Century” will hold its general assembly on April 23.

Akahata on April 20 obtained the draft of the group’s plan to “deepen comprehensive discussions on how Japan’s Self-Defense Forces should contribute to international cooperation for maintaining peace.”

The group’s discussion will focus on the right of collective self-defense that will make the Japan-U.S. (military) treaty more efficient while seeking to revise the laws for territorial security and the protection of national secrets, the enactment of a general law enabling Japan to quickly deploy the Self-Defense Forces abroad, and the creation of a national security council.

The Diet members’ group was formed in November 2001 with 101 Diet members participating.

Members of the group have played significant roles in dispatching the SDF abroad and campaigning for revision of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution.

At the general meeting held in February 2004, former Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro gave a lecture about the need to revise the Constitution from a security point of view, prompting the group to focus on constitutional revision.
- Akahata, April 21, 2008