[Mb-civic] U.S. Questions Japan's Pacifism BB C

[Michael Butler]

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    U.S. Questions Japan's Pacifism
    BBC

     Saturday 14 August 2004
 U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says Japan must consider revising its
pacifist constitution if it wants a permanent UN Security Council seat.


    Article Nine of the constitution, drawn up under US post-war occupation,
renounces the use of force in disputes.

     Japan plays a role in international peacekeeping, and currently has
troops in Iraq, but its constitution limits its military's powers.

     However, revising Article Nine would be highly controversial in Japan.

     Mr Powell told Japan's Kyodo news agency that the US supported Tokyo's
quest for a permanent seat at the Security Council.

     But he added that: "If Japan is going to play a full role on the world
stage and become a full active participating member of the Security Council,
and have the kind of obligations that it would pick up as a member of the
Security Council, Article Nine would have to be examined in that light."

     He acknowledged how important Article Nine was to the Japanese people,
saying: "Whether or not Article Nine should be modified or changed is
absolutely and entirely up to the Japanese people to decide."

     Japan says it is eligible for permanent membership as it has been
involved in several peacekeeping operations, and is the second-largest
contributor to the United Nations.

     Mr Powell's comments reiterated remarks made by Deputy Secretary of
State Richard Armitage in July.

     Mr Armitage told a group of Japanese lawmakers that it would be
difficult for Japan to become a permanent member of the Security Council if
it could not have a greater military role in international peacekeeping.

     Article Nine of Japan's post-war constitution technically forbids Japan
even having a military, although this has been re-interpreted to permit
forces for self-defence. Japan's government needed to pass special
legislation to allow the Iraq despatch.

     Both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic
Party are in favour of a change in the constitution, but many lawmakers and
members of the public are unwilling to renounce Japan's pacifist stance.

     A poll published in May in the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper showed that
78% of Japanese lawmakers were in favour of making some changes to the
constitution, but 70% were against alterations to Article Nine.

     Iran oil deal
     In his comments on Thursday, Mr Powell also urged Japan to reconsider
its oil development deal with Iran.

     "It seems clear to us that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon,"
Mr Powell said.

     He added that he hoped Japan would take this into account when judging
whether Iran was a place to invest in or do business with.

     Mr Powell also reiterated that the US intended to take legal action
against Charles Robert Jenkins, an alleged US Army deserter now in Japan for
medical treatment.

     "We cannot set aside the fact that because he is a deserter we need to
resolve his case at some point in the future," Mr Powell said, adding that
the US would not press the case while Mr Jenkins was under medical care.

  

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