(VOVworld) – The Japanese coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party has finally agreed to exercise Japan’s right to collective self-defense. The agreement paves the way for the Japanese government to adopt an amendment to the 1947 Constitution. It will represent a shift in Japan’s security policy since the establishment of its Self-Defense Force in 1954.
 

Constitutional amendment will require two-thirds support in both the Upper and the Lower House of Parliament and must be ratified by a national referendum (photo: John Thys/ Getty Images)

Japan’s Constitution, often called “Japan’s 1947 peace Constitution”, states in Article 9: “The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”

For nearly 7 decades, the ban has restricted Japan from defending its national security or getting involved in regional security. The government now wants to amend Article 9 to better serve national defense. The amendment will require two-thirds support in both the Upper and the Lower House of Parliament and must be ratified by a national referendum.      

Defending national security

In response to global developments and the current power struggle in the Asia-Pacific region, an amendment of Japan’s peace Constitution will expand Japan’s military capacity by removing a ban on pursuing collective self-defense and allowing the country to support allies that are attacked. The proposal amendment says Japan can engage in the minimum necessary use of force when an attack on an ally poses a clear danger to Japan’s existence or its people’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The amendment will also ease restrictions on Japan’s involvement in UN peacekeeping activities and disputes in what are termed “grey zone” scenarios.

Japan’s greater involvement in regional military activities will create a big shift in Asia’s security balance. Professor Alan Dupont of Australia’s New South Wales University says if the amendment is adopted, it will be the most important change in Japan’s military policy since its Self-defense Force was formed in 1954. Former Japanese diplomat Kunihiko Miyake says Japan finally can catch up to the global security standard. Narushige Michishita, a security researcher at Tokyo’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), says this change in its military policy will once again allow Japan to defend itself.

Support from allies, backlash at home

Many of Japan’s allies support Japan’s plan to amend its Constitution. The US wants Japan to have a more balanced status in the US-Japan military alliance. Australia and the Philippines back the plan. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida in Phnom Penh that the amendment will give Japan’s Self-Defense Force more authority to help maintain international peace and stability. China said it is wary of Japan’s real intention. The Republic of Korea said collective self-defense is Tokyo’s national right but it will not accept any intervention by Japan in Korean peninsula disputes without a direct request by Seoul.

The Constitutional reinterpretation has sparked a backlash from the Japanese people, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assurances that Japan will remain a peaceful nation and its SDF will not engage in military operations outside its territory.

Public polls indicate that a majority of Japanese oppose the plan. A survey by the daily newspaper Mainichi last week showed 58% of respondents opposing the plan. Nikkei said half of the Japanese people oppose removing the ban on the Japanese army participating in a war abroad. They worry that the right of collective self-defense will be expanded. One day before the meeting of the coalition government, Japanese people took to the streets to protest all wars.