July 23, 2011
Akahata editorial (excerpts)
A government panel on how the U.N. peace-keeping operations should be viewed, consisting of bureau chiefs of Foreign Affairs and Defense and other major ministries, has recently published an interim report calling for the “need” to study taking part in U.N. peace-keeping forces (PKF) operations and expanding the right to use arms.
This proposal leads to strengthening the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) operations abroad, as the interim report states that a review of the principles of Japan’s participation in PKOs including joining PKF will enable Japan to make a more active contribution to international peace.
Broadened definition of right to use arms
When the government in 1992 enacted the law for cooperating in PKOs, the government set out five principles as conditions for Japan to take part in PKOs: an agreement to a ceasefire between countries in conflict; their agreement to accept PKOs; neutrality; a withdrawal in case any of the above conditions fails to be met; and the use of arms restricted only to protecting the lives of personnel. These conditions were set forth in order to abide by constitutional restraints.
For the government to review these five principles for PKO participation now is to broaden the scope of SDF activities abroad to one of participation in PKF involving the use of force and of protection of foreign units and personnel other than the SDF.
The attempt to redefine the right to use arms is particularly serious. The use of arms allowed in the PKO cooperation law, the law to dispatch SDF to Iraq, and the anti-piracy law is basically limited to protecting the lives of Japanese personnel, with an exception of foreign personnel coming under the control of Japanese units. The centerpiece of the interim report is to review the restrictions and to additionally task the SDF abroad with protecting foreign military units and personnel.
The interim report further intends to enlarge the SDF mission to rapid deployment to where foreign units are attacked and working to protect the foreign units and personnel, even though no attack on the JSDF has been made.
The use of force by the JSDF in order to protect U.S. and other foreign units amounts to using the right to collective self-defense. Given the conventional government view that the use of collective right to self-defense is unconstitutional, the PKO panel’s interpretation is unacceptable.
It has been a longstanding U.S. request to Japan to accept the task of defending foreign units abroad and to allow the right of the SDF abroad to use arms. The United States heartily approved the logistic support which the SDF in the Iraq War offered to the U.S. forces, and still continues to request that the SDF fight together with the U.S. forces abroad.
Gov’t is duty-bound to observe Constitution
Azuma Shozo, senior vice minister of the Cabinet Office and chair of the PKO panel, said to U.N. Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro when he requested Japan to send the SDF to South Sudan (which became independent on July 9) that Japan drafted the interim report on PKOs. Azuma promised to see if Japan can send the SDF there.
The government should abide by the constitutional principles and immediately end all the work concerning a review of conditions on participation in PKOs.
A government panel on how the U.N. peace-keeping operations should be viewed, consisting of bureau chiefs of Foreign Affairs and Defense and other major ministries, has recently published an interim report calling for the “need” to study taking part in U.N. peace-keeping forces (PKF) operations and expanding the right to use arms.
This proposal leads to strengthening the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) operations abroad, as the interim report states that a review of the principles of Japan’s participation in PKOs including joining PKF will enable Japan to make a more active contribution to international peace.
Broadened definition of right to use arms
When the government in 1992 enacted the law for cooperating in PKOs, the government set out five principles as conditions for Japan to take part in PKOs: an agreement to a ceasefire between countries in conflict; their agreement to accept PKOs; neutrality; a withdrawal in case any of the above conditions fails to be met; and the use of arms restricted only to protecting the lives of personnel. These conditions were set forth in order to abide by constitutional restraints.
For the government to review these five principles for PKO participation now is to broaden the scope of SDF activities abroad to one of participation in PKF involving the use of force and of protection of foreign units and personnel other than the SDF.
The attempt to redefine the right to use arms is particularly serious. The use of arms allowed in the PKO cooperation law, the law to dispatch SDF to Iraq, and the anti-piracy law is basically limited to protecting the lives of Japanese personnel, with an exception of foreign personnel coming under the control of Japanese units. The centerpiece of the interim report is to review the restrictions and to additionally task the SDF abroad with protecting foreign military units and personnel.
The interim report further intends to enlarge the SDF mission to rapid deployment to where foreign units are attacked and working to protect the foreign units and personnel, even though no attack on the JSDF has been made.
The use of force by the JSDF in order to protect U.S. and other foreign units amounts to using the right to collective self-defense. Given the conventional government view that the use of collective right to self-defense is unconstitutional, the PKO panel’s interpretation is unacceptable.
It has been a longstanding U.S. request to Japan to accept the task of defending foreign units abroad and to allow the right of the SDF abroad to use arms. The United States heartily approved the logistic support which the SDF in the Iraq War offered to the U.S. forces, and still continues to request that the SDF fight together with the U.S. forces abroad.
Gov’t is duty-bound to observe Constitution
Azuma Shozo, senior vice minister of the Cabinet Office and chair of the PKO panel, said to U.N. Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro when he requested Japan to send the SDF to South Sudan (which became independent on July 9) that Japan drafted the interim report on PKOs. Azuma promised to see if Japan can send the SDF there.
The government should abide by the constitutional principles and immediately end all the work concerning a review of conditions on participation in PKOs.
