The government, in a rather hasty move, is seeking parliamentary approval of a bill updating the 1992 legislation that allows the Self-Defense Forces to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations. The bill, which was sent to the Lower House last Tuesday, would expand the SDF's role as international peacekeepers and ease the restrictions on the use of weapons in line with recent developments in the regional and international security environment.
The so-called PKO law -- a legacy of the 1991 Persian Gulf War in which Japan played only a financial role -- includes provisions that enable the SDF to perform the primary duties of peacekeeping forces, or PKF, such as monitoring ceasefires and removing land mines. But those provisions were put on hold because of objections from opposition parties concerned about the risks to SDF troops. The revision bill would lift the freeze and open the way for participation in PKF operations.
Actually, the bill follows up antiterrorism legislation that allows the SDF to provide noncombat support for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and possibly in other regions. "The (planned) revision, which would enable Japan to cooperate with the international community, seems quite sensible to me," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said after the bill was endorsed by the Cabinet. The governing parties -- the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party -- expect the revision to take effect by early December when the current Diet session adjourns.