Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2015 January 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

Abe considers beefing up security laws using pretext of hostage situation in Syria

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on the NHK “Sunday Debate” program televised on January 25 expressed his intent to speed up the development of security legislation in order to put Japan’s use of the right to collective self-defense into shape by using the pretext of the kidnapping/murder crisis reportedly created by the extremist Islamic State.

Abe calls for giving first priority to human lives on the one hand but at the same time he expressed his willingness to enter into discussion to include military options, coming under strong public criticism.

During the program, Abe said, “Even when Japanese nationals come to harm abroad, the present Self-Defense Forces cannot put to full advantage their capability. So, taking that into account, I will proceed with implementing legal adjustments.”

The host of the program asked Abe if he intends to adapt security-related legislation to allow the SDF to provide rear-area logistics support for the U.S.-led “coalition of the willing” which continues with airstrikes on the Islamic State.

The prime minister responded, “Logistics support is constitutionally possible with or without UN resolutions.”

The Cabinet in July last year decided to change constitutional interpretations on collective self-defense issues. It also decided to remove the existing ban on the SDF’s “use of weapons abroad” in conducting missions such as to rescue Japanese citizens, which successive governments considered as a “use of force abroad” violating the Constitution. Currently, the SDF carries out logistics support only in “non-combat zones” but the Cabinet decided to do away with this restriction so that Japan can dispatch the SDF to “combat zones” as well.

The Abe government created the National Security Council in the wake of the captive/killing of Japanese nationals in Algeria in January 2013 and then began moving forward toward building a “war-capable Japan”.

The government should hold back from using such cases as an excuse to implement militaristic policies by beefing up security-related legislation. It instead should make all the possible diplomatic efforts to achieve a hostage release.

Past related articles:
> PM Abe hints at enabling SDF to enter combat zones
[May 29, 2014]
> Concern voiced over ‘security’ of new NSA [January 9, 2014]
> DefMin uses Algeria hostage crisis to revise law on SDF activities abroad [January 20, 2013]