Stop enacting wartime bill: democratic lawyers' association appeals

In a 20-page booklet published on March 5, the Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom (JLAF) called on the government to stop enacting wartime legislation, which is going to be submitted to the current Diet session.

The booklet of JLAF (chaired by Ugajin Nao, with about 1,600 members) is titled "Japan should go for peace," with a subtitle, "opposition to wartime legislation."

The democratic lawyers' organization warns that the wartime legislation is aimed at allowing the government to recruit personnel and requisition resources so that they will be incorporated in U.S.-led wars.

The booklet stresses that the emergency law violates Article 9 of Japan's Constitution which renounces war, and reneges on constitutional fundamental human rights. Such a law, if enacted, will rob the Constitution of its validity temporarily to the effect that the Diet and local self-governments will stop functioning, says the tract.

Analyzing an interim report of the draft wartime bill, the booklet of the lawyers' association, (comprises about ten percent of Japan's lawyers, shows how seriously the new war law will harm people's living conditions.

The booklet takes seriously the fact the government is pushing ahead with the wartime legislation at a time when Japan is fully cooperating with the U.S.-led retaliatory war against Afghanistan.

The urgent need now is for the Japanese government to urge the U.S. government to immediately end the war, for Japan to withdraw Self-Defense Forces units from the Indian Ocean, and stop enacting the wartime legislation, the booklet stated. (end)