Japan Press Weekly

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2014 July 2 - 8 [POLITICS]

Komei Party piles lies on top of lies over the collective self-defense right

“We do not approve Japan’s use of the right to collective self-defense.”

Just after the Abe Cabinet approved a decision to allow the country to exercise the right, Yamaguchi Natsuo, chief representative of the Komei Party, a junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, made this statement at a news conference in the Diet building.

At first, the Komei Party had showed a cautious attitude toward authorizing the use of the contentious right. However, it changed its stance at the end of June and consented to the Cabinet decision.

That day, reporters questioned Yamaguchi, “During the Upper House election campaign last year, the Komei Party claimed that it is ‘dead set against’ the exercise of the collective self-defense right. Aren’t you the person to take responsibility for breaking the election promise?”

Yamaguchi tried to dodge such criticisms by insisting that his party succeeded in putting “strict limits” on the use of armed force by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

One of those “severe limits” is that Japan is permitted to invoke the right only when there is a “clear danger” that people’s lives and rights may be seriously affected.

Reporters went on to ask, “What does that phrase ‘clear danger’ mean? You should explain it to the general public so that they can fully understand what you mean by that.”

The party leader replied, “I hope the media will make efforts to define this phrase.”