Japan passes supplementary contingency bills

Japan made into law a set of war contingency bills Monday following the approval of the upper house, adding them to other three relevant laws born last year.

According to one of the bills, Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will be able to provide ammunition to the US military if Japan comes under foreign military attack or such threat is deemed imminent. The United States is Tokyo's strongest ally and has more than 40,000 troops based in Japan. The bill, which also contains other provisions to facilitate US-Japan operation under such circumstances, provided a legal ground for the early revised Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement which seeks the same purpose.

The package, which got the endorsement of the House of Representatives last month, also includes a bill authorizing Maritime Self-Defense Force inspections of ships in an emergency,

a bill enabling the government's priority use of ports and airports to deal with such a situation, and two others on the handling of prisoners of war and banning such inhumane acts as barring civilians from leaving Japan during an emergency.

The seven bills came out as supplements to the first contingency laws enacted last June which have strengthened the commanding power of the government as well as the prime minister in the situation of emergent threats and armed Japan with the right of preemptive strikes.

Parliament approval must be sought after the government declares a state of emergency to evacuate citizens and take other measures, the laws said.

Japan adopted a pacifist constitution after World War II due to its ruthless invasion to Asian neighbors. Its Article 9 states that the Japanese people "forever renounce war as sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." The article also denies the right of belligerency of the state.

The Japanese government, however, has managed to have bills passed to realize greater maneuverability of the SDF. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said he will push for a constitution revision to recognize an SDF as an army.