JCP will do its best to shatter Abe's intent to exercise collective self-defense right: Shii

February 14, 2014

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on February 13 held a press conference in the Diet building and expressed his determination to block the Abe government's move to permit the state to exercise the right to collective self-defense. The following is a summary of his statement:

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo started his reckless move toward authorizing the state to exercise the right to collective self-defense.

In his policy speech in January, Abe said that he will "consider" how to deal with the issue.

The prime minister said in recent Diet deliberations, "If my government just followed the conventional interpretation of the Constitution, it would have been unnecessary to set up an advisory panel to discuss security legislation," and "If the administration presents a new constitutional interpretation, it will be possible to authorize the use of the right. The argument that a constitutional revision is needed to do so misses the point."

Abe's stance runs counter to successive governments' view that the current Constitution prohibits the state from exercising the collective self-defense right. His intention is to turn Japan into a nation that can wage war overseas.

It is a matter of grave concern that Abe said, "I'm the head of the government. So I take the responsibility for the government's answers and will receive a verdict from the public in the next election."

As Abe said, if a government is allowed to change the constitutional interpretation at will just because they hold a majority in the Diet, it will undermine the nature of the Constitution. His remarks violate the constitutional principle that the supreme law is in place to restrict state power. We cannot tolerate such a violent argument to destroy the pacifist Constitution.

The JCP will squarely stand up to Abe's attack on the Constitution as well as work to drive the government into a corner by strengthening public opposition.


Past related article:
> Japan can use right to collective self-defense in case of 'serious impact': gov't panel chief [November 7, 2013]