Abe's cabinet approves draft security bills for greater SDF role

2015-05-14

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a press conference following a cabinet meeting which approved a legislative package on national security, at his official residence in Tokyo on May 14, 2015. The Cabinet of Japan on Thursday approved a legislative package on national security which will allow the Self-Defense Forces to fight abroad, marking a major change to Japan's post-war exclusively defense-oriented security policy. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

TOKYO, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Cabinet of Japan on Thursday approved a legislative package on national security which will allow the Self-Defense Forces to fight abroad, marking a major change to Japan's post-war exclusively defense-oriented security policy.

The package, including a permanent bill on international peace assistance and other comprising revisions to 10 existing laws, will remove geographical restrictions on where the SDF can operate, and under certain conditions allow Japan to defend its security ally for the first time since the end of the WWII.

So far, the government has been required to enact a special law each time it wants to dispatch the SDF for overseas logistical support. After the enactment of the permanent bill, the SDF personnel could be dispatched overseas at any time when needed.

Of the revisions, one would alter the law on contingencies in areas surrounding Japan, removing the geographical constraint and allowing the SDF to extend logistic support not only to U.S. forces but also to other foreign militaries.

Another revision would allow Japan to exercise, on a limited scope, the right to collective self-defense, or coming to the aid of allies under armed attack even if Japan itself is not attacked.

The Cabinet is expected to submit those bills to the Diet Friday. As Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito hold a majority of the seats, they are likely to pass the Diet in summer.

Those bills' enactment would mean that Abe government's right- leaning security policies, including lifting the ban on collective self-defense, revising Japan-U.S. defense security cooperation guideline as well as expanding the SDF's overseas activities, will get a guarantee in law, a total overturn of Japan's post-war exclusively defense-orientated policies.

Abe government's move has triggered strong opposition. More than 500 people have gathered in front of the prime minister's office to protest since Thursday morning.

Some opposition lawmakers strongly criticized those bills. " They are war legislations that allow Japan to engage overseas warfare. They undermine Japan's pacifist Constitution," Yoshiki Yamashita, head of Japanese Communist Party's secretariat said.

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