Greens Japan Steering Committee, 2014/07/01
Japan Cabinet resolution to allow the use collective defense is a de facto “self-coup”:
Abe administration has lost its legitimacy and needs to resign
On July 1st, Abe administration made a cabinet decision to allow Japanese Self Defense Force to take some actions followed by right of collective self-defense and revealed its decision at press conference. Greens Japan condemns strongly its decision and insists that its administration no longer has legitimacy.
Firstly, once the authority suspends a part of or the whole the Constitution, it is politically defined as a “self-coup”. The cabinet decision of this time is not defined as “change of interpretation” of the Constitution, but as a self-coup de facto, as the global media reports. We consider that Abe administration has already lost its legitimacy as a cabinet of democratic constitutionalist country.
Secondly, as we pointed out in the previous statement (*1), the logic of “the right of collective self-defense” which has been passed in the cabinet decision is completely collapsed. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explained in a press conference the escort of the U.S. military convoy which delivers Japanese civilian can be one of a case of execution of right of collective self-defense, though U.S. government totally denied such a case. Moreover, the Prime Minister uses casuistry using an outdated phrase “deterrent power” which would bring us “more peacefulness”. There is no logicality or reasonability.
Once we use armed forces based on “right of collective self-defense”, Japan will be automatically treated as an “enemy” of someone else. It is useless if Japan excuses that it is a “limited” execution of armed forces in case of warfare. In such a case, we have to expect direct attacks to Japan or escalation of armed conflict. It is an outrage of the administrative power to suspend the application of the article 9 of the Constitution which has functioned as a security device in East Asia, secured Japanese people who live and work all over the world, and had an important role for the construction of peace in conflictive area in the world. It will overturn the peace and security not only of Japan, but also of East Asia and the whole world.
On the other hand, even though the cabinet decision has been done, we have a lot of things to do – to shout out, take actions, take each other’s hands with many people. Abe administration should amend nearly 20 laws such as Self-Defense Forces Act to put the use of right of collective self-defense into effect. To avoid the use of armed forces and to invalidate this “self-coup”, many people will try to discuss and take actions in the parliaments, courts, city councils, and everywhere from streets to international society. We will do our best to make it happen, being confident that the voices and actions of civil power such as tens of thousands of people being gathered every weekend in front of the Prime Minister’s Office and in many other places in Japan. It is our responsibility to carry on peace and constitutionalism which has been established by enormous amount of victims and sufferings into future generations.
A multiparty group “The Network of Constitutionalist Municipal Councilors” in which many Green municipal councilors participate insists in its statement that “we need to stick together to stop runaway of Abe administration, overcoming each other’s difference of opinions. We call on a mighty political alliance to fight against dispatch of Self-Defense Force, participation in war and destruction of the Constitution”.
We, Greens Japan, support its call. We unite with any kind of political and civil groups which aim the peace and constitutionalism on the street, in the elections, parliaments and every kind of locations to fight against illegitimate Abe administration to bring it down.
*1: [Urgent Statement] We oppose to admit the use of right of collective self-defense by cabinet decision – to dispose Abe administration
07/01/2014 – 00:00