Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

International Cooperation Committee asking for your help in promoting peace in Asia

A Threat to World Peace?

Amendment to Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
This is the current article 9 of the Japanese Constitution:

‘Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as 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 belligerence of the state will not be recognized.’

Article 9 of the current Japanese Constitution

This article was placed into Japan’s Constitution at the end of World War II, as a promise, and some say an apology, to all those Asian countries and Pacific Islands it invaded and occupied before and during World War II, in order to ‘renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation’.

The present Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, and his government wish to change the present Article 9 of the Japanese constitution to the following:

‘ 1. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

2. 1) In order to secure the peace and independence of our country and the safety of the country and the people, a self-defence army is maintained under the command of the Prime Minister.

3) The Self-Defence Army, in addition to activities carried out to fulfil the tasks determined in paragraph 1, in accordance with what is established in law can carry out activities in international cooperation in order to secure international peace and safety, to maintain public order in emergency situations, or to protect the life and liberty of the people.’

On the face of it, this may not seem to be much of a change; Japan already has a large self defence force, which, under the name of humanitarian support, took part in operations in Iraq, in theory, as engineers repairing waterworks and such like, however in practice airlifting US troops and transporting military supplies; whether this was actually legal under the present constitution is currently being contested in court.

However, it is widely believed that changing Article 9 to the above will have a major impact in Asia and globally, and there is deep concern in the region with regard to the effect the change would have on stability in the region ; the integration of the Japanese Defence Forces into US military strategy, and the distancing of Japan from its Asian neighbours.

There is a significant degree of distrust of Japan in Asia, due to its actions before and during the Second World War, and its failure to apologise for them; worship by the former Prime Minister Koizumi at Yasukuni Shrine, which, among normal soldiers graves, houses the graves of war criminals raising them up as national heroes; school textbooks with no mention of Japan’s past; disagreements over historical matters like the Nanking Massacre, and its close identification with the United States.

The above amendment to the constitution would mean that Japan would, like Britain, be able to take part future in conflicts around the world, and commit to military cooperation with the USA, whereas the present constitution does not allow this.

Japan has by some calculations the fifth(as of 2006) most powerful military in the world; a change in the peace clause of Japan’s constitution, allowing it to take part in military activities in other countries, would make a large difference to the meaning of Japan’s military strength to its neighbouring countries. Japan would seem more threatening, and the change would probably start an arms race, particularly with China, increasing military tension in the area. This tension would probably focus around the inflammableTaiwan and North Korea situations, affecting stability in the area , and increasing the risk of conflict.

One of the reasons given for changing Article 9 is that Japan would be able to take part in UN ‘peacekeeping’ operations. In Iraq, the Japanese forces were welcomed because of Article 9; the Iraqis knew the Japanese Defence Forces were not coming to fight. Japan can have a special role in these situations because of Article 9. Changing the clause would be discarding the present clause before we know its full potential, depriving Japan of the opportunity to make a contribution to countries in situations of conflict, which no other country can.

If we don’t dissuade Japan’s Abe government from changing Japan’s Peace Constitution, not only will the world be losing a powerful instrument for peace, but the change may also precipitate a war in Asia, in which China would almost certainly be involved, and to which the US would almost certainly respond.

Are you prepared to sit by and watch a Third World War begin? If not, we ask you to put pressure on your government to discourage the Japanese Government from amending Article 9 of Japan’s Peace Constitution.

Thank you in participation of your help.
International Cooperation Committee

Chubu Diocese

Item from: Anglican /Episcopal Church in Japan