Japan's Parliament enacted legislation Monday aimed at improving the country's ability to protect itself if attacked, allowing troops to commandeer private property and boosting their cooperation with U.S. forces. The legislation, which the upper house passed by a vote of 163 to 31, clarifies when Japanese troops can use their weapons. It also would enable the government to swiftly evacuate civilians in an emergency. The lower house approved the measure last month. The seven bills expand on readiness measures enacted last year. Long studied by successive ruling Liberal Democratic Party governments, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi submitted the bills amid Japan's heightened military readiness since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and growing concern about North Korea's long-range missile and nuclear capabilities. The new legislation allows Japanese and American militaries to appropriate seaports, airports, roads, radio frequencies and other public property for military use to respond to an emergency. It also gives Japanese soldiers the right to raid ships suspected of carrying foreign military supplies. | Nork ranting and spittle expected |
The legislation allows the government to set aside private property for use by the U.S. military, and imposes penalties on owners who refuse to let authorities looking for such places to inspect their land. About 50,000 U.S. troops are based in Japan under a security treaty that commits Washington to protecting its ally in the event of an attack. Union workers criticized the legislation Monday, saying it stepped over the rights of the Japanese people. "This bill affects those things most important to the people - their lives and property - yet it was not properly debated and was pushed through by the force of numbers of the Koizumi administration," the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Union said in a statement. "By allowing this legislation, Japan is turning its back to the peace-seeking world and advancing along a path toward isolationism," the union said. | Isolationism is not what they are worried about |
Japan's pacifist constitution, written during the post-World War II U.S. occupation of Japan, renounces the use of force to resolve disputes and limits the scope of Japan's armed forces. Reflecting the restricted role of the military, the bills spell out Japanese soldiers' right to use their weapons for self-defense and to defend others with them, including U.S. soldiers. The package also outlines the humanitarian treatment of prisoners of war, punishment for destruction of cultural property and government coordination to protect and evacuate Japanese citizens. |