Military combats return to Japan after seven decades of strict restrictions

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe defies massive Public Opposition

For the first time in 70 years, Japan's military will now have limited powers to participate in military activities concerning conflicts, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe triumphed over public demonstrations and oppositions against the new legislation. The Prime Minister won a crucial vote in the Parliament, last Thursday, together with the approved package of the 11 security related bills submitted to the legislative department.

MUNTINLUPA CITY, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) -  Despite several protests and a massive opposition from the public, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the rest of his party and allies in the lower house of the Parliament approved all the 11 security related bills. Opposition lawmakers walked out and chanted noisily outside, despite the unforgiving weather.

To make things worse for the opposition, Prime Minister Abe has controls in the upper chambers that will guarantee the legislation of the security bills.

Months of debate regarding the pacifism during wartime aggression passed and Abe, a conservative politician and a strong believer that Japan should get over their military past, won, despite oppositions during the legislative procedure. His visions of a Japan that moves towards a "normal country" comes closer as he continues to try and open Japan up to larger roles in global affairs.

The defensive and strict stance of the Japanese military stood for seven long decades. With the new security bills, critics, mostly constitutional specialists believe the recent legislation violated Japan's postwar charter that renounced war.

Unfortunately, to their dismay, even the super power United States welcomed the larger role of Japan's military in regional security, causing their country to lose its assertiveness.

The country's Prime Minister exhausted all his resources and political capitals in order to help push the bill through. Abe presented his case as an avoidable response to the threats Japan is facing, in particularly with China.

The murder of two Japanese hostages by the Jihadist militant groups last January further pushed him to continue to loosen the restrictions on the Japanese military. Now that the military is about to be allowed to freely act on certain defensive and offensive attacks, Abe feels the security in Japan will become more solid and reliable.

China condemns the passage of the bills and insists that Japan is becoming a potential threat to the peace in the Asian region. Abe failed to address concerns on the possibilities that the loose restrictions in the military might bring the country into damaging and unnecessary wars.

However, Abe is certain the sections in the security bills will deprive the military from engaging in unnecessary activities, even with the less restricted new system.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online