Japan's House of Councillors Endorses Three Contingency Bills

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 06, 2003

Japan's House of Councillors Endorses Three Contingency Bills

Japan's House of Councillors gave green light Friday to three bills with which the prime minister and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will play a more powerful and active role in contingencies.

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Japan's House of Councillors gave green light Friday to three bills with which the prime minister and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will play a more powerful and active role in contingencies.

The bills, known as Bill to Respond to Armed Attacks, Bill for Revision on the Self-Defense Forces Law and Bill for Revision on the Law Governing the Security Council of Japan, cleared the House of Representatives on May 15.

Under these bills, if Japan is under attack or such danger is predicted, the cabinet will work out corresponding plans and submit them to the parliament immediately. At the same time, a headquarters will be established within the cabinet and led by the prime minister. Once these plans are passed by the parliament, the prime minister will be given the power to issue instructions to local governments and to exert executive power. As for citizens, the bills state that they should give the necessary cooperation inthe event that emergency measures are implemented.

The bills also set the target of, within two years of enactment, establishing legal measures to provide support for US forces.

The new bills will enable the SDF to launch preemptive strike when a military attack is deemed imminent, a move regarded as a severe infringement of Japan's pacifist Constitution that states,"The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes."

The SDF is empowered to make use of private land without the owner's permission and to remove buildings if necessary. It is also exempted from having to follow laws and regulations that obstruct defense operations, such as traffic regulations.

Japan's ruling bloc -- the Liberal Democratic Party, the New Komeito party and the New Conservative Party -- voted for the bills. In opposition parties, the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Party voiced their support, while the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party voted against the bills.

The study of legislation concerning military emergencies began in 1977, during the administration of Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda,but has never been materialized. After the endorsement of the bills in the cabinet on April 16, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumisaid, "We have made a general review of Japan's response to emergency situations and intend to promote the building of a secure nation that can respond to any situation." He also made clear that tasks for the near future include implementing measuresto cope with both intrusions by unidentified armed ships and terrorist attacks.

A survey by Kyodo News said Thursday that the Defense Agency has embedded at least 22 former and current SDF personnel in localgovernments for helping dealing with contingencies.

"SDF personnel's knowledge of military affairs is helpful for local governments," said a senior agency official, indicating thatthe agency expects to post more personnel at local government offices.

The survey, however, found that of 17 local governments what had hired SDF personnel, only three were willing to let them intervene in emergencies.

Japan has been seeking to expand the role of the SDF with new legislation. In 1991, the parliament approved a bill on sending the SDF abroad to take part in UN peace-keeping operations. And the bills adopted in 1999 authorized SDF to provide rear-area support for US forces in areas surrounding Japan to ensure safety situations, a move termed by critics as breaking the ban on collective defense operations.

Following the Sept. 11 terror attack on the United States, Japan's parliament put through a series of anti-terrorism bills and sent their warships to the Indian Ocean in support of US strikes against terrorism.

The next goal of the government is to get the SDF involved in the rebuilding program on Iraq. Quoting government sources, Kyodo reported Thursday that Koizumi would start the effort next week for the endorsement of a new bill dispatching the SDF to Iraq. To that end, he plans to extend the expiration of the current parliament session due on June 18 by 30 to 40 days.

Koizumi said at a recent parliament meeting that the SDF shouldbe regarded as a military. A senior official of the Defense Agencyalso said the government intends to make further amendments to relevant laws in a bid that the prime minister can mobilize the SDF in the event of emergency without the approval of the parliament.

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