Japan Press Weekly

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2014 October 1 - 7 [PEACE]

Need to protect Article 9: ex-SDF member in Akahata interview

A former member of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in an Akahata interview on October 6 said, “There is no need to change Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution.”

Former Ground SDF Leading Private Oshima Nobuyuki, 55, was assigned to the GSDF 3rd Engineer Battalion whose mission is to construct temporary roads and bridges and lay mines.

Following is an excerpt of his interview.

I definitely oppose the recent Cabinet decision to lift the ban on Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right.

If bills for Japan’s exercise of this controversial right are enacted, the Abe government will probably participate in U.S. led-military actions against the Islamic State group, meaning that Japan would become terrorist targets.

SDF members are trained to obey any command. For example, if they receive a command to dig a hole, they will continue digging a hole all night long. So, when Japan decides to take part in collective self-defense, they have to follow the state decision.

I believe that Article 9 has protected SDF personnel whenever they were dispatched to missions abroad, such as the PKO in Cambodia.

Japan has successfully avoided attracting terrorist attacks by making use of the war-renouncing provision of the Constitution. This is the only way for Japan to consolidate its influence to the world. Article 9 is the real deterrent. There is no need to change it.