Defense Ministry Law enacted

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Defense Ministry Law enacted

The House of Councilors at its Plenary Session on December 15 passed the Defense Ministry-related bill with the majority approval of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, Democratic, and People's New parties. The Japanese Communist and Social Democratic parties voted against the bill that will completely transform Japan's defense policy.

The new law mandates that the Self-Defense Forces engage in overseas activities as their primary task and upgrades the Defense Agency to Defense Ministry.

At a House of Councilors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting on December 14, Japanese Communist Party representative Ogata Yasuo expressed opposition to the bill, stating that the Committee must not hastily put it to the vote without sufficient discussion when many people are expressing their opposition and asking questions about the bill as shown in opinion polls.

Pointing out that under the Constitution successive governments have confined the SDF mission to "national defense," Ogata stressed that assigning the SDF to overseas operations as its principal task violates Article 9 and preempts an adverse revision of the Constitution.

Ogata pointed out that SDF activities under the Law to Deal with Situations in Areas Surrounding Japan, the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, and Special Measures Law on "Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq," which the bill will include as the SDF's principal task, are logistic support to U.S. forces. He stated that the bill to make support for the U.S. forces in wars abroad the SDF's raison d'etre must not be enacted.
- Akahata, December 15, 2006