Japan Press Weekly

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2009 February 4 - 10 [SDF]

Peace activists urge defense ministry to revoke its decision to send SDF ships to Somalia

Representatives of trade unions and peace organizations that make up the Central Action Committee against the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (Anpo-Haki) on February 9 visited the Defense Ministry to demand that the decision to send Self-Defense Forces ships to waters off the coast of Somalia be canceled.

In the meeting with Defense Ministry officials, Anpo-Haki Secretary General Hayasaka Yoshiro said, “The Japan Coast Guard is the organization that should respond to the need for such anti-piracy operations in waters off the coast of Somalia. We ask the government to cancel the plan to deploy SDF ships.”

Admitting the fact, a Defense Ministry official stated, “Anti-piracy operations are to be carried out primarily by the Japan Coast Guard.”

The official, however, justified dispatching SDF ships on the grounds that many countries have their warships deployed off Somalia and said that the ministry will send SDF ships by using an applicable article of the Self-Defense Forces Law for a while. He said that the government intends to submit a bill to the Diet at an appropriate time for permanent anti-piracy legislation.

Hayasaka said, “As the nation with the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, it is inappropriate to submit ‘the anti-piracy bill’ to allow Japan to send SDF units abroad. The government should cooperate with the international community to take fundamental anti-piracy measures which includes aid for rebuilding Somalia.”

The official replied that it is still unknown whether it is effective to dispatch SDF ships to take part in the anti-piracy mission.

Hayasaka once again urged the ministry to revoke its decision to send SDF ships, stating, “Those who are guarding and patrolling the area agree that sending SDF ships will have no effect.”