Over the weekend Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) became the first major political party to settle on a draft revision to that country's constitution. Reportedly the draft will be officially made public on November 22, when the party celebrates its 50th anniversary. Begun as a union of conservative political forces, the LDP's founding goal was constitutional revision and so those calling for amendment are treating it as a landmark event. To create favorable public opinion the party's leaders have argued that Japan's "peace constitution" cannot cope with the changing demands of the times such as environmental rights and personal privacy. They have also either removed or relaxed "restorationist" content called for by party hard-liners such as an emphasis on Japan's "unique tradition."
However LDP leaders may try to confuse the issues, however, nothing has changed about their true intentions, which is to incapacitate the peace constitution. At the center to their proposed amendment is making the "Self Defence Forces" (SDF) a "self defense military." Being aware of the opposition to the proposed amendment, its drafters have chosen to maintain first clause of Article 9, which says the country forgoes war. But then they want to get rid of the parts of the second clause of Article 9, which says Japan cannot possess military power and engage in combat, and state in clear terms that the country maintains a "self defense military." They also want to open the door to the use of military power overseas by stating that it could participate in international cooperation, aside from duties relating to self-defense and the maintenance of order in emergency situations.
The reason we are paying such close attention to the effort to revise the Japanese constitution is because we think there are serious problems with the historical interpretations made by those who are behind it. The roots of the political elements seeking constitutional amendment and the claim that the peace constitution was forced upon Japan by occupation forces and that Japan's "war criminals" cannot be recognized as such because the International Military Tribunal for the Far East was a unilateral trial by the same occupation forces come from almost the same place. True reconciliation in East Asia and the formation of an international community in the region will only become more difficult if Japan proceeds with constitutional revision based on erroneous perceptions.
The Hankyoreh, 31 October 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Concerns About Constitutional Revision in Japan |
