Japan: War Bills made law The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, June 8th, 1999. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~guardian Subscription rates on request. ****************************** In April the Lower House of the Japanese Parliament passed legislation -- the Japan-US Guidelines-related War Bills - - that strengthens the Japan-US Security Treaty. The Obuchi Government then railroaded the legislation through the House of Representatives in early May, putting in place the means for the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to be directly involved in US military action in the Asia-Pacific region. The legislation stipulates that the SDF play a "rear area support" role for US forces by transporting weapons, munitions and personnel, supplying fuel, repairing weapons and providing medical treatment for wounded US soldiers. In the military, these operations are called logistics and are part and parcel of war actions, inseparable from the use of force. This contravenes the Japanese Constitution. Article 9 declares that Japan renounces war, and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. The Guidelines allow the SDF to take part in action outside Japan's territory, which is also prohibited by the Constitution. It transforms Japan from a no-war state to a state that will participate in war abroad, making the Constitution's Article 9 a dead letter. When asked if this would mean an "effective contribution to US forces", Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura answered: "They would be making a contribution to US forces." This new commitment by Japan to support US hegemony was made law just prior to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's visit to the US for talks with President Bill Clinton. Clinton referred to the Guidelines as "a new foothold for a flexible response to any Asian crisis", a clear indication of how the new arrangements threaten Asia's peace and stability. Obuchi also laid his cards on the table in Washington when speaking of the US-NATO war on Yugoslavia: "The United States has played a very important part as leader in the free world in contributing to peace and prosperity in the world." Opposition in Japan to the legislation is growing. By mid-May, 207 local governments had adopted resolutions and statements expressing opposition to and concern over the Guidelines-related War Bills. On May 12, 2,500 people marched through Yokohama City demanding "Scrap the War Bills". Around 200 people involved in sport, including prominent athletes and commentators from various fields have expressed their support for an appeal by 11 former athletes calling for action to have the War Bills scrapped. The appeal says, "Because we love sports and peace, we cannot be silent about the War Bills which will lead Japan to military cooperation." The Municipal Hospital Workers' Union has published an emergency appeal against the Bills, which will force municipal hospitals into military cooperation with US forces. The Guardian 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. 2010 Australia. Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Website: http://www.peg.apc.org/~guardian -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
