July 16, 2015
By David McNeill
Thousands of demonstrators (click here) have surrounded Japan’s
parliament after the Lower House passed controversial security bills
that critics say will dramatically change the country’s defence posture
and hollow out its pacifist constitution.
Most members of Japan’s opposition parties walked out
of the chamber in protest before the vote Thursday afternoon. But the
coalition government’s two-thirds majority meant they were easily
approved.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants Japan’s armed forces
to join in military activities abroad and defend allies under attack -
principally the United States - a policy he has dubbed “proactive
pacifism.”...
It is a complicated discourse because it will be the first time Japan would actually have sustaining military footprint. There are a couple of good reasons including the real threat of domestic terrorism and the nuclear ambitions on the Korean Peninsula. China is also building artificial islands in the Pacific. It is getting a little tricky to say the least. I hope Japan is using diplomacy along with it's new change of military readiness.
Japan’s post-Second World War constitution (click here) was born when Japan was occupied by Allied forces. During the first stage of the occupation, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces and legislators of the constitution thought Japan would not have a military force again. Article 9 of the Constitution renounces war and prohibits Japan from maintaining the war potential. However, as the United States changed its policy of demilitarizing Japan, the United States asked her to share the burden of maintaining the security of Japan and, for the sake of international peacekeeping, Japan gradually increased its defense capability and developed a somewhat more technical interpretation of article 9. Article 9 does not prohibit Japan from maintaining her defense capability. Article 9 had been popular in Japan for a long time; but as the Japanese started to take their security more seriously, more people have begun to accept the idea of amending article 9 of the Constitution. The ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, will bring the Constitutional amendment proposal to the Diet within the next few years.
The Demonstration below occurred on June 22, 2015.
It is a complicated discourse because it will be the first time Japan would actually have sustaining military footprint. There are a couple of good reasons including the real threat of domestic terrorism and the nuclear ambitions on the Korean Peninsula. China is also building artificial islands in the Pacific. It is getting a little tricky to say the least. I hope Japan is using diplomacy along with it's new change of military readiness.
Japan’s post-Second World War constitution (click here) was born when Japan was occupied by Allied forces. During the first stage of the occupation, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces and legislators of the constitution thought Japan would not have a military force again. Article 9 of the Constitution renounces war and prohibits Japan from maintaining the war potential. However, as the United States changed its policy of demilitarizing Japan, the United States asked her to share the burden of maintaining the security of Japan and, for the sake of international peacekeeping, Japan gradually increased its defense capability and developed a somewhat more technical interpretation of article 9. Article 9 does not prohibit Japan from maintaining her defense capability. Article 9 had been popular in Japan for a long time; but as the Japanese started to take their security more seriously, more people have begun to accept the idea of amending article 9 of the Constitution. The ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, will bring the Constitutional amendment proposal to the Diet within the next few years.
The Demonstration below occurred on June 22, 2015.
