Japan Press Weekly

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2015 September 30 - October 6 [POLITICS]

Arms agency inaugurated in violation of constitutional pacifism

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

A new agency to exclusively manage arms research/development, procurement, supply, and maintenance was inaugurated on October 1 as an external organ of the Defense Ministry. The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency will reportedly obtain two trillion yen in budget allocations out of the total 5-trillion-yen national defense budget. Many experts and critics warn that the inauguration of this extra-ministerial bureau will give more power to the military-industrial complex.

The Abe government in April last year abolished the Three Principles banning Japan’s entry into the global arms trade which successive governments had long maintained, and decided to actively engage in arms exports, international joint development of weapons, and production of weapons and weapons systems. The new Japan-U.S Defense Cooperation Guidelines drawn up in April this year also gives a commitment to “develop” and “strengthen” cooperation with the United States regarding “defense equipment and technologies”. The government has already embarked on projects to export parts of surface-to-air PAC-2 missiles to the U.S., to conduct joint research on air-to-air missiles with the U.K., and to participate in a competition to win orders for co-development of an Australian advanced submarine.

By mobilizing universities and research institutes for military-related research and development, the newly-inaugurated agency is aimed at enhancing the basis of military production and technology advances through “industry-academia-government” collaboration. In fact, the government in April began funding research which will be directly applicable to military use. This would turn some academic organizations into government subcontractors getting paid for military research, breaching “the freedom to study” guaranteed in the Constitution.

On the occasion of the establishment of the new arms agency, Japanese business circles are demanding a further increase in the defense budget and the facilitation of arms exports “as a national strategy”, showing their intent to intervene in state policies.

It is unacceptable for the government to scramble to serve the interests of the business community which trample upon the principle of pacifism embodied in the nation’s supreme law.

Past related articles:
> War legislation could allow for a runaway defense ministry [September 28, 2015]
> New Japan-US defense cooperation guidelines reflect Abe’s hawkish ambitions [April 28, 2015]
> Abe wants to export more arms by establishing an additional defense-related agency [May 19 & 26, 2015]
> Bill to establish defense equipment agency enacted [June 11, 2015]
> State presents new policy to promote ‘merchants of death’ [June 20, 2014]