" "Pacifists" No More?" Scuffles as Japan security bill approved by committee

[Keel]

• Scuffles as Japan security bill approved by committee
  
  39 minutes ago

A controversial bill to expand the role of Japan's armed forces has cleared another hurdle in parliament, but sparked scuffles among lawmakers.

Opposition MPs physically tried to stop the vote in a legislative committee by jostling around the chairman and trying to snatch his paperwork and microphone.

The committee's vote clears the way for the bill to go to the upper house of parliament for final approval.

The opposition says it will continue to try to delay the vote.

The bill would allow Japan to defend its allies overseas even when it is not under attack.

The bill is not widely supported by the country at large. Thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament in Tokyo as the committee debate was under way.

Opposition lawmakers tried to physically prevent the debate from taking place.

In rare heated scenes, jostling members of the upper house surrounded the chairman of the security committee, Yoshitada Konoike, as he opened the debate on Wednesday and again on Thursday morning as the vote was taking place.

The opposition had also tabled a no-confidence vote against Mr Konoike.

Wednesday night's session was abandoned in the early hours of Thursday after opposition lawmakers blocked entry to a room where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other ministers were waiting to discuss the bill.

Delaying tactics
The bill has already been approved by the government-dominated lower house.

It is expected to be passed in the upper house because the ruling coalition has a majority there - this was why opponents were keen to prevent the committee from approving the legislation.

It is thought Mr Abe's government wants to pass the bills before the country goes into a five-day holiday on Saturday, which could provide an opportunity for even bigger protests.

If the upper house does not pass the bills within 60 days, they will have to be returned the lower house.

It is a step Mr Abe is thought to be willing to take. His Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc has a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives.

Despite his majorities in both houses, the controversial bills, and Mr Abe's determination to push them through despite vocal opposition, appear to have damaged his popularity.

Polls have consistently shown a majority of the public are opposed to the changes, and relatively few strongly support them.

What is collective self-defence?
Japan's post-World War Two constitution bars it from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence.

Mr Abe's government has pushed for security legislation that would allow Japan's military to mobilise overseas when these three conditions are met:

• when Japan is attacked, or when a close ally is attacked, and the result threatens Japan's survival and poses a clear danger to people
• when there is no other appropriate means available to repel the attack and ensure Japan's survival and protect its people
• use of force is restricted to a necessary minimum

What's behind Japan's military shift?

The government says Japan needs to pass the bills, which are welcomed by the US, to ensure regional peace and security in the face of rising Chinese assertiveness. It also says they will allow the country to participate more widely in global peacekeeping missions.

But opponents say the legislation violates Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, and could lead to it being dragged into US-led conflicts.

Despite the likelihood of eventual defeat, opposition to the bills has been credited with helping reverse decades of youth disengagement from politics in Japan. Students in particular, have been closely involved in leading protests once dominated by trade unionists and greying left-wing activists.

Scuffles as Japan security bill approved by committee - BBC News

 

[bobsm]

Japan: Brawl erupts in parliament over approval of controversial security bills
By Alfred Joyner September 17, 2015 11:41 BST


A brawl broke out in Japan's parliament on 17 September after the upper house approved legislation for the controversial security bills that would allow the country to send troops to fight abroad for the first time since the Second World War.

The chaotic scenes showed opposition lawmakers try to physically prevent the vote from taking place. Broadcast live on national television, politicians can be seen pushing and shoving one another, in a rare show of physical anger, as members of the opposition tried to grab the microphone and stop Masahisa Sato, acting chairman of the upper house special committee, from carrying out the vote in parliament.

The legislation has sparked huge protests from ordinary voters, with thousands of people demonstrating outside parliament in opposition to the bills.

A poll carried out over the weekend and published on 14 September by Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun showed 54% of the public opposed the legislation against 29% who backed it, with 68% in the survey saying they saw no need to enact the bills during the current session.

45,000 protesters demonstrated outside parliament in Tokyo on 14 SeptemberReuters
The government says the changes to the law are vital to meet new challenges, such as that presented by rising neighbour China, whose recent assertiveness in the South China Sea has upset countries in the region.

But opponents say the revisions, which the government aims to get voted into law by the entire upper house this week, violate the pacifist constitution and could embroil Japan in US-led conflicts around the globe.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc has an upper house majority, but opposition parties have vowed to prevent a vote by the full chamber before parliament disperses on 27 September even if they have to use delaying tactics, such as no-confidence and censure motions. The legislation has already been approved by the lower house.

Japanese media speculate that the bill will now head for a full session of the upper house as early as 18 September where the opposition has vowed to use more delaying tactics.


Japan: Brawl erupts in parliament over approval of controversial security bills [Video]

 

[Zsari]

Japan's "Pacifism" was a forced one as the result of WWII. It's just a matter of time before it tear its pacifist constitution apart.

 

[prima99]

good news. this will put other Asian Countries in alert and they'll improve their military capabilities to match Japan. this also gives China and SK a very good excuse to expand their military even more.

 

[Huan]

Maybe Xi Jinping should reverse the 300,000 troop cut in the PLA army now...lol

 

[LowPost]

Maybe Xi Jinping should reverse the 300,000 troop cut in the PLA army now...lol

Nah, there were good reasons why the PLA is being downsized. According to Xinhua the primary purpose of the troop cut is to make the armed force more slim and effective. It is mainly aimed at units armed with obsolete equipment and non-combatant troops.

China says to finish military cuts by 2017 - Xinhua | English.news.cn

 

[opruh]

Abe-san needs to listen to his people, I thought japan is a democracy.

 

[CAPRICORN-88]

With 60% of the population opposing the bill and the rest who mainly voted "did not know", Japan DEMOCRACY is in jeopardy as they are hijacked by the oligarchy.

General MacArthur placed those limit in the postwar Japanese constitution in order to safeguard and assure the rest of Asia that the Japanese holocaust will not be repeated.

That is why Japanese Military is named Japan Self Defense Force.

USA defeated Japan????

How many Americans actually died fighting the Japanese between 1900 ~ !944 compared with 35 million Chinese Peasant Army & KMT soldiers who sacrified their lives?

or

How many Americans actually died fighting the Germany during WW2 in Europe compared with the 27 million Soviet Army who sacrified their lives?

 

[jhungary]

With 60% of the population opposing the bill and the rest who mainly voted "did not know", Japan DEMOCRACY is in jeopardy as they are hijacked by the oligarchy.

General MacArthur placed those limit in the postwar Japanese constitution in order to safeguard and assure the rest of Asia that the Japanese holocaust will not be repeated.

That is why Japanese Military is named Japan Self Defense Force.

USA defeated Japan????

How many Americans actually died fighting the Japanese between 1900 ~ !944 compared with 35 million Chinese Peasant Army & KMT soldiers who sacrified their lives?

or

How many Americans actually died fighting the Germany during WW2 in Europe compared with the 27 million Soviet Army who sacrified their lives?

To be fair, the only country have a say in this issue is Japan themselves. not US nor China nor anyone as this is Japanese own internal business...

It was a self-imposed policy, not anything forced on or limited them to do so.

And war does not win by whoever lost more, losing more soldier than other country only reflect on your own fighting capacity. Say China lose more men than the US does not equate to Chinese won the war themselves as Chinese are losing men over in their territories defending their land, the US engage the Japanese all the way to Japanese homeland, one thing I know, you don't win war with just defending your own land.

 

[TheTruth]

To be fair, the only country have a say in this issue is Japan themselves. not US nor China nor anyone as this is Japanese own internal business...

It was a self-imposed policy, not anything forced on or limited them to do so.

And war does not win by whoever lost more, losing more soldier than other country only reflect on your own fighting capacity. Say China lose more men than the US does not equate to Chinese won the war themselves as Chinese are losing men over in their territories defending their land, the US engage the Japanese all the way to Japanese homeland, one thing I know, you don't win war with just defending your own land.

Oh okay that explains how Austria lost to the invasions by the Caliphate.

 

[Huan]

Abe-san needs to listen to his people, I thought japan is a democracy.

The Japanese people already voted in an LDP majority for the parliament, they deserve what they get. Let them learn the cruel lessons in the aftermath. I feel sorry for the Japanese youth.

 

[senheiser]

this means America has now more troops in the Middle east and other wars which Japan wont benefit

 

[Keel]

Abe-san needs to listen to his people, I thought japan is a democracy.

Abe listens to his boss on the other side of the Pacific, the right-wing cabitnet and his grand-father's call more than to the non-belligerent Jpnese

"Democracy"? - it fails again

This was done in July:

[Graphic News] Abe approval ratings drop sharply over security bills


Published : 2015-07-22 16:41
Updated : 2015-07-22 16:41

Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has fallen sharply amid the controversy over his push to expand the role of the military.

Recent media polls put support for his Cabinet at the 35-40 percent range, the lowest since he took office in December 2012.

In a survey published in the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper, his government’s support rate dropped 6.8 percentage points to 39.3 percent while the disapproval rate rose 10.2 percentage points to 52.6 percent.

The disapproval rate also edged up to more than 50 percent in two other polls, by Kyodo news service and the Mainichi Shimbun.

A poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper put his support rate at 37 percent and disapproval rate at 46 percent.

[Graphic News] Abe approval ratings drop sharply over security bills


Another poll done it August:

The trouble with Japan’s new security bills | East Asia Forum

With 60% of the population opposing the bill and the rest who mainly voted "did not know", Japan DEMOCRACY is in jeopardy as they are hijacked by the oligarchy.

General MacArthur placed those limit in the postwar Japanese constitution in order to safeguard and assure the rest of Asia that the Japanese holocaust will not be repeated.

That is why Japanese Military is named Japan Self Defense Force.

USA defeated Japan????

How many Americans actually died fighting the Japanese between 1900 ~ !944 compared with 35 million Chinese Peasant Army & KMT soldiers who sacrified their lives?

or

How many Americans actually died fighting the Germany during WW2 in Europe compared with the 27 million Soviet Army who sacrified their lives?

Well said!

 

[Aepsilons]

All i have to contribute is this.

May the Imperial Ancestors bring auspicious ventures to Nihon Koku!

May The Imperial Ancestors, with their Victorious Spirit, usher forth an accurate and piercing future of greatness for Nihon Koku!

Let us dance to such auspicious times !

 

[Keel]

Commentary: Japan's war bills: victory for few, seed of disaster for millions more
English.news.cn 2015-09-18 18:57:26

BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan's controversial security bills that the ruling bloc, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is going all out to push through in the upper house of the parliament on Friday will be a victory for just a few people but a seed of disaster for millions more.

Attempting to shoot their last bolt to have the bills passed the parliament, the few hundred lawmakers supportive of the bills hardly give any thought to the voices of common Japanese citizens, nor the concerns of neighboring countries that were victims of Japan's wartime atrocities.

In the last few weeks since July 16, Japan has witnessed massive gatherings of demonstrators protesting the passage of the bills in the lower house. The prospect of their loved ones sent to fight wars overseas for another country's sake even prompted those who are normally indifferent to political affairs to take to the street.

Deep-running concern over the bills among the Japanese public also dampened popularity of the Abe administration. Various polls this week showed that Abe's rating falls to an all-time low since he took office.

Japanese lawmakers are the foremost witnesses of citizens' roaring anger toward the bills since every time they go into the Diet building, they could easily bump into protestors holding anti-war signs nearby.

Yet it seems such scenes have made no difference for MPs supportive of the controversial bills, or probably they are just too busy relishing an almost certain victory and have no energy left to care about public opinions.

They may have good reasons to take pride in staging a feat to "unbind Japan from the restraints" of the pacifist constitution, but the rosy pictures they paint could hardly dispel domestic qualms that Japan could be dragged into an unwanted war under the new policy.

It is also worth noting that Japan partially owes its rapid development and economic prosperity in the last 70 years to its promise of peace after its defeat in World War II. Any deviation from the peaceful path may also cost the country heavily in economic terms.

Internationally, the unpopular move risks further fray already strained ties with neighbors, and could potentially wreck havoc on regional stability.

Enactment of the security bills would also be a grave mockery of the post-WWII world order, especially in a year when the international community is marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII -- the bloodiest war in human history.

Commentary: Japan's war bills: victory for few, seed of disaster for millions more - Xinhua | English.news.cn