For all the talk about defending the country against possible armed attacks from abroad, Japan has no legal framework for protecting civilian populations in these national emergencies. Now, belatedly but necessarily, the government is seeking Diet approval of such legislation as a followup to the military contingency package that took effect in June.
The "national protection bill" is one of seven bills, all related to the contingency package, that the Cabinet approved Tuesday morning for submission to the Diet. They include plans to facilitate U.S. military activities under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. All these measures would effectively conclude Japan's on-and-off efforts, begun in 1977, to establish full-fledged defense legislation.
More remarkable, however, is the buildup of legislation in the arena of international security. In 1992, following the 1991 Persian Gulf War, to which Japan made a substantial financial contribution, a landmark law was enacted that opened the way for the Self-Defense Forces to participate in U.N.-mandated peacekeeping operations. Under this law SDF troops have been dispatched to various places around the globe, including Cambodia, Mozambique and East Timor.