TOKYO (UCAN): Japan’s Catholic bishops have asked prime minister, Fumio Kishida, to withdraw three key documents, which seek rearmament and a major overhaul of the nation’s defense strategies.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan termed the government’s plan to boost the nation’s defense budget “unconstitutional and dangerous.”
In a statement on December 21, the commission said, “The decision to create the ‘three security documents’ effectively abandons the conventional basic policy of an exclusively defense-oriented policy under Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and marks a complete shift to make Japan a military superpower.”
The statement said, “Moreover, the fact that such a serious decision was made by a cabinet decision without careful deliberation by the Diet [national parliament] and the sovereign people is an outrageous act that ignores democracy and should not be tolerated.”
According to a strategic plan document, which Kishida unveiled in December, Japan will set aside more than US$320 billion [two per cent of its GDP] to build up its military in the next five years. He said the move was taken due to regional threats and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The cabinet, led by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also approved two other documents: the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy on December 16 that would enable Japan to launch counterstrikes under specific circumstances.
The commission urged the Kishida government to withdraw the three documents.
The statement came amid fears that Japan was moving away from its pacifist constitution, which prevents it from acquiring counterstrike capability.
The strategic plan includes upgrading Japanese-made weapons and buying at least 400 US-made long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The bishops said that the government’s decision is undemocratic as it was made through a decree, bypassing parliament.
The bishops said that boosting the military budget to two per cent of GDP by 2027, means “declaring Japan’s military superpower status.” It would also put Japan on a par with NATO member states. In June 2022, Kishida became the first Japanese prime minister to take part in a NATO meeting.
The statement from the Justice and Peace Commission said that acquiring the capability to attack enemy bases is nothing more than a “threat of force,” which is banned under the constitution.
The commission also decried the plan to use civilian ports and airports for military purposes and directing scientific and technological resources to produce new weapons.
Quoting Pope Francis’ words during his papal visit to Japan in 2019, the commission noted: “The path Japan should follow is that of peace through diplomacy based on the Preamble and Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, playing a role in creating a framework for peace that resolves disputes through dialogue.”
