Focal Point on Diet - Emergency Laws

On January 21, the 154th general session of the Diet was called. A focal point of this session is the emergency laws, as Prime Minister KOIZUMI Junichiro expressed his strong desire in a New Year's press conference on January 4, saying, "I want to start legal preparation from anything possible."

The ruling three-party coalition immediately confirmed their policy to give the highest priority to revising legislation related with laws under the control of the Defense Agency including the Self-Defense Forces Law (Group 1), and laws under the control of other departments and agencies (Group 2). The Democratic Party of Japan also said, "Preparation of the emergency laws is necessary," supporting the policy.

Koizumi emphasized the necessity of comprehensive legislation as quoted in The Mainichi Shimbun daily, January 25, as saying, "We should fill widely and completely all the space where we have never forearmed." He has repeatedly declared that a package of the "Fundamental Security Law (tentative name)" and its related bills be introduced.

This comes just from his aim to force all emergency-related laws through this Diet session while his popularity is maintained, taking a golden chance of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the retaliation war, the event of a 'suspicious boat' and so on. Without any serious discussion in the Diet, he is going to establish the warfare system in a way like coup d'état.

Denial of Constitution and National Mobilization to War

At a Liberal Democratic Party's panel on national defense on January 22, the government (Cabinet Secretariat) reported a basic policy entitled 'about the Preparation of Emergency Laws.' This document refers to the 'importance to cope with new situations' and emphasizes, "For the effective use of force, we need to take some appropriate measures before being attacked by armed force." In other words, the government is going to throw away the principle of 'defense' with the excuse of anti-terrorism and carry out a preemptive strike sending the Self-Defense Forces at any time and anywhere.

In the legislation relating the Groups 1 and 2, it has already been made clear that the legislation makes it possible to expropriate private lands, houses and goods for the activities by the SDF, thus suspending the people's fundamental rights. The basic policy presented this time, as the items of the 'study on Group 3 (undefined in classification),' has come up with mobilization and control of local governments and private companies, such as comprehensive management of related civil services, control of private vessels and aircrafts, radio wave restriction and so on. The strength of its enforcement is not to be compared with the Law on the Situation in Areas Surrounding Japan, which provided nothing more than a description to 'request the cooperation.'

The government sent SDF troops and entered the actual war based on the Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law (law for participating the US-led retaliation war), which expires in two years. Only the emergency laws make it possible to dispatch the SDF at any time and anywhere, and suspend the civilian rights. It is just the legislation denying the Constitution and forcing the people to cooperate in wars.

Raise Protesting Voice from Communities

On February 18, Japan-US summit talks between warmonger George W. Bush and Koizumi will be held. In the name of 'anti-terrorism,' they must aim to expand the war and push forward the emergency laws.

However, in the US, under strict information control and political pressure,the Berkeley City Council in California adopted a resolution calling to bring the bombing to conclusion, and the people still continue anti-war movements in various cities.

Power of our counteraction can be found in our community. If we can get anti-war resolutions from local assemblies nationwide, they must become a big restriction against the central government and political parties in the Diet. We should create peaceful communities to protect the human rights of all the residents. We should advance our local campaigns to withdraw the SDF and say 'No' to the emergency laws and war cooperation. Let us protest against Bush's visit to Japan and advance our international grassroots solidarity. (January 27)