News Story: Moon, party leaders condemn N.K. nuke, missile provocations

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of major parties issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning North Korea's provocations and calling for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear standoff.

In a show of bipartisanship, they announced a five-point agreement after their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, also reaffirming they would not let another armed conflict occur on the Korean Peninsula.

The talks, the third of their kind, came amid heightened tensions caused by Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuke test on Sept. 3 and a series of ballistic missile launches.

"(We) strongly condemn North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations that threaten peace and stability," reads the joint statement adopted after the dinner gathering that lasted two hours and 15 minutes.

"We urge the North to immediately halt provocations and come forward onto a path towards peace and denuclearization," it added. The statement was announced by their spokespersons.

The meeting was attended by Choo Mi-ae, Ahn Cheol-soo, Joo Ho-young and Lee Jung-mi, who represented the ruling Democratic Party, People's Party, Bareun Party and Justice Party, respectively. The leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party refused to attend, saying he does not want to serve as "background for a political show."

During the talks, the leaders also agreed to work together to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North, strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance and bolster deterrence capabilities by enhancing the credibility of America's extended deterrence.

Extended deterrence refers to the stated U.S. commitment to defend its ally by mobilizing all military capabilities, nuclear and conventional, against the North's aggression and provocations.

Such a commitment was called into question amid Pyongyang's beefed-up push to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. Some argue Washington may dither on defending its Asian ally under attack as its military action could put its own territory at risk.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: LDP unlikely to reveal specifics on desired constitutional revisions in election pledge

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will unlikely unveil any specific draft clause when the party proposes constitutional revisions as part of its election campaign pledge, including one on the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), party sources said.

Instead, the LDP will lay out intraparty discussions on the issue in its campaign pledge for a House of Representatives election likely to be held in October.

LDP legislators decided at a meeting of the party's Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution on Sept. 20 to leave the compilation of the party's campaign promises on constitutional revisions to the party leadership.

As part of amendments to the supreme law, the headquarters has proposed to revise war-renouncing Article 9, make education free, extend the tenure of Diet members in case of a major natural disaster and eliminate the merged constituencies in the House of Councillors. The panel will work on forming a consensus among party legislators on the plan.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: LDP resumes debate on Constitution revisions, eyes Article 9 draft

The constitutional revision committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has resumed debate on revisions to the supreme law, including war-renouncing Article 9, planning to present a draft for the article as early as next month.

The LDP's Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution held a meeting for all of the party's lawmakers at the LDP headquarters on Sept. 12, to discuss revisions that would clarify the existence of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

Okiharu Yasuoka, leader of the headquarters, suggested presenting a draft revision at the next meeting relating to Article 9 -- expected in late October -- in line with a proposal by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that would uphold the first and second paragraphs of Article 9. The first paragraph renounces war, while the second states that Japan will never maintain the potential for war.

It was the first time for the headquarters to convene a meeting since the reshuffle of Cabinet members and LDP officials in August. Through his proposal, Abe seeks to win support from his party's coalition partner Komeito. Legislators who attended the meeting were supportive of the move. Comments included that it was significant from the perspective of "sweeping away the unconstitutionality of the SDF," and that it was a "realistic move with a view to holding a referendum" on the issue.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

Related Story:

• Abe's Constitution amendment idea 'difficult': Komeito head

News Report: Scandals Undermine Effort to Revise Japan’s Pacifist Constitution

Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Brian Padden

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe’s falling approval ratings and his party’s recent defeat in the local Tokyo metropolitan election, put at risk his longstanding goal to revise the country’s pacifist constitution, even if his hold on power remains intact for now.

“I don’t know that it is dead, but it is a lot less likely than it was a just a few weeks ago,” said regional security analyst Grant Newsham with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.

Eroding scandals

Until recently Abe, who has been in office since 2012, had enjoyed strong popular support, mostly for his pro-business economic reforms to stimulate the long stagnate economy. His conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and ruling coalition also hold super majorities in both houses of the Japanese parliament, known as the Diet.

But the Japanese leader’s popularity has recently plummeted to 36 percent in one national poll because of allegations that he helped a friend secure free land and approvals to establish a veterinary college, and that his wife made secret donations to an ultra-nationalist kindergarten that is accused of promoting bigotry against Chinese and Koreans. The prime minister has denied these charges but the perception of cronyism and corruption has seriously damaged his standing with the public.

“The number one reason why they don’t approve of Mr. Abe anymore is because people don’t find him trustworthy,” said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor with Sophia University in Tokyo.

News Story: Abe to dump defense, justice ministers in Aug shakeup - sources

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to replace his beleaguered defense and justice ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle in the first week of August, attempting to revive his fortunes after a stinging defeat in Tokyo metropolitan elections, government and party sources said Friday.

Abe is also tipped to overhaul key posts in the Liberal Democratic Party he leads at the same time, the sources said, adding that Aug. 3 is a strong possibility for the Cabinet reshuffle. Abe is expected to make a final decision after he returns from his European trip on Wednesday.

He is likely to retain the core members of his Cabinet and the LDP.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, a conservative ally of Abe, and Justice Minister Katsutoshi Kaneda both faced questions about their competency. Each joined the Cabinet in the previous reshuffle on Aug. 3 last year.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga spoke little on the issue at a press conference on Friday, only saying it is a "matter left to the prime minister."

He was initially expected to conduct a reshuffle in September when the tenures of LDP leadership posts expire, but the party's historic defeat in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election last Sunday appears to have forced his hand.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Abe determined to end debate on whether SDF are constitutional - interview

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasized his ambition to put an end to debate on whether Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are constitutional by adding a new clause to the war-renouncing Constitution, during a recent interview with the Mainichi Shimbun. Below is an excerpt from the interview on July 3.

The Mainichi Shimbun: You announced on May 3 that you will aim to have the revised Constitution -- in which the existence of the SDF is stated while maintaining Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 of Article 9 (under which Japan declares its renunciation of war as a sovereign right and gives up any war potential) -- come into effect in 2020. But then you said you wanted to submit a draft revision by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to the extraordinary Diet session, essentially moving up the schedule. Don't you think you're trying to push a topic that requires careful debate among ruling and opposition parties too quickly?

Prime Minister Abe: Over 90 percent of the Japanese people say they have confidence in the SDF. For the government, it's unquestionable that the SDF are constitutional. However, many constitutional scholars and political parties still argue that the SDF are unconstitutional, and as a result, many textbooks include that there are opinions that the organization violates the supreme law.

As the supreme commander of the SDF, I am the one who will give the final order, such as instructing SDF troops to go to Mount Ontake for rescue operations if there is a chance of another eruption. I believe it's our responsibility to have the SDF stated in the Constitution and leave no room for discussion that their existence may be unconstitutional.

Popular sovereignty, respect for fundamental human rights and pacifism (together known as the three principles of the Japanese Constitution) are universal and will not change in the future, but since the party's foundation, making amendments to the supreme law has been the LDP's principle policy for over 60 years. As 70 years have passed since the Constitution came into force, I believe it's high time that the debate over constitutional amendment deepened and different opinions converged. With these points in mind, I made the (May 3) announcement as the president of the party.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: LDP eyes submitting Constitution proposals to Diet session from fall

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

KOBE (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday he wants his Liberal Democratic Party to submit proposals on changing Japan's Constitution for discussion during an extraordinary Diet session likely to be convened in the fall.

"I expect LDP proposals to be submitted at the Constitution commissions of the upper and lower houses before the extra Diet session ends," Abe said in a speech in Kobe, indicating his eagerness to step up discussion within the ruling party to realize the first-ever amendment of the country's postwar Constitution.

Abe, who doubles as LDP president, has set a year-end deadline for the LDP to devise its amendment proposals and it had been widely believed the party would seek to present them to the Constitution commissions in the regular Diet session to be convened early next year.

But the prime minister's latest remarks mean that the party may have to finish drawing up its proposals earlier than initially thought, depending on the length of the extraordinary Diet session.

A senior LDP member said, "We need to somewhat speed up the work."

The Japanese Communist Party reacted coldly, with party chief Kazuo Shii saying that what Abe needs to do now is satisfactorily address the allegations of favoritism leveled against him and the government over a school opening project, rather than rolling out a new schedule on constitutional reform.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: LDP's 'springboard' draft Constitution specifies SDF in Article 9

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s "springboard" draft that will serve as a starting point for amendments to the war-renouncing Japanese Constitution, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his intent to put into effect in the year 2020, has been revealed.

The revelations came on June 21, following reports of a video message from the prime minister presented to a group calling for constitutional revision on May 3 saying he wanted the Self-Defense Forces (SDF)'s existence to be specified in Article 9, in addition to the two paragraphs that are already in place.

The LDP leadership's plan is to define the SDF in the second paragraph of Article 9 as "an organization using the bare minimum of force necessary to protect the state," and to explicitly mention that the first paragraph, which currently reads, "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes," must not be interpreted as a prohibition of the existence of the SDF, and to use this as a pillar in its debate on constitutional revision.

Some say, however, that such a proposal is inconsistent with the second paragraph of Article 9 -- which reads, "in order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained" -- as well as with the LDP's 2012 draft Constitution, signaling a rocky road ahead in the debate on constitutional amendments. A draft is set to be completed as early as September.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Thai legislative body passes national strategy, reform bills

BANGKOK, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday unanimously passed legislation on a 20-year national strategy and a bill on national reform.

The NLA approved the national strategy bill, for which a National Strategy Commission is to be set up and chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Those, who will sit on the National Strategy Commission, include the army chief, navy chief, air force chief, police chief, the Defense Ministry undersecretary, the Armed Forces supreme commander, the National Economic and Social Development Board secretary general, the National Security Council secretary general, the Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman, the Federation of Thai Industries chairman, the Tourism Council of Thailand chairman and the Thai Bankers Association chairman.

Future governments will be legally obliged to follow the national strategy in the next 20 years, according to the bill drafted by the ruling National Council for Peace and Order.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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PacificSentinel: A grab for more power by the illegal thai government that came to power via a military coup, while being forced to hold elections that will replace the current coup government with an elected one, they obviously want to place vast restrictions on that elected government for decades to come, and retain behind-the-scenes military control of the country, as evident by the make up of the "National Strategy Commission" being military/security top heavy. Yet another sad day for Asian Democracy.

News Story: 36% oppose adding SDF clause to pacifist Constitution - Mainichi poll

Some 36 percent of people oppose the idea of adding a new clause specifying the existence of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to the Constitution while retaining the two paragraphs of the war-renouncing Article 9, a Mainichi Shimbun survey has revealed.

Furthermore, in the same nationwide poll, which was conducted between June 17 and 18, 27 percent of respondents said that they agree with an SDF clause being added to the supreme law, while 30 percent said they were uncertain.

On May 3, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed his plan to enact a revised Constitution in 2020. However, in this latest Mainichi Shimbun poll, it was found that 60 percent of respondents think that, "There is no need to rush (concerning discussions about revising the Constitution)," while only 25 percent think that "there is a need to rush." These results are similar to those found in a previous Mainichi poll in May, in the sense that the overriding stance concerning constitutional amendment talks is one of caution.

However, with regard to the issue of specifying the existence of the SDF in the Constitution, the questions in the May survey were different to those in the June poll -- making it difficult to make a straightforward comparison. Nevertheless, in the previous survey, the results in response to the corresponding question about mentioning the SDF in the supreme law were 31 percent "against," 28 percent "in favor," and 32 percent "uncertain."

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Japan's ruling party heavyweight at serious odds with Abe's plans to amend pacificist constitution

TOKYO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Former Japanese defense minister continued to question Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approach to changing the postwar constitution, saying on Wednesday his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) needs to better clarify the situation regarding the nation's Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Shigeru Ishiba said simply adding the existence of the SDF in the constitution would not lead to its legitimacy as a "military".

"It's not just enough to write down the existence of the SDF in the constitution," said the veteran LDP lawmaker, who is widely regarded as Abe's biggest potential rival for the LDP's leadership.

He was referring to Abe's proposal to keep the current paragraphs of the war-renouncing Article 9 in the constitution, but adding a specific reference to the SDF so that their existence, expanded roles and geographical scope can no longer be deemed unconstitutional.

Article 9 of Japan's pacifist Constitution currently states that "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." It goes on to state that... "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."

To date since it being sanctioned at the end of Word War II, the pacifist charter has been interpreted by the government as not prohibiting Japan from maintaining forces of a strictly defensive nature. But further interpretations during Abe's tenure have led to new, controversial security legislation which allows for an expanded operational scope of the SDF.

Ishiba contends however that merely appending a paragraph that recognizes the existence of the SDF does not clarify its status constitutionally and as such the same inherent contradictions to Japan maintaining a military would remain.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Defiant Jamiat Insists On Security Reforms As ARG Urges Restraint

By Anisa Shaheed

Members of Jamiat-e-Islami party on Monday reiterated their calls for systematic reforms to be brought in Afghanistan’s security institutions, saying the recent suicide attacks at the funeral ceremony that Jamiat leaders were attending had badly damaged trust, among the Afghan public and Jamiat party, in security institutions.

This comes a week after acting foreign affairs minister Salahuddin Rabbani, who is also the leader of Jamiat-e-Islami party, said his party was calling for the immediate dismissal of heads of all security institutions including the national security advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar.

“(CEO Abdullah) Abdullah is the main partner of power in the national unity government, he has a responsibility with regards to the incidents and will not remain unaware of it, he is the official representative of Jamiat, exchange of views will continue, we are confident that Mr. Abdullah will not keep silent towards the issues,” said Jamiat spokesman Waqif Hakimi.

Meanwhile, the presidential palace has called on political parties to show restraint.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Young people hit Tokyo's streets to protest 'anti-conspiracy bill'

Thousands of people took to the streets of central Tokyo on June 11 to protest the government's "anti-conspiracy" bill, in a demonstration organized by the activist group "Mirai no tame no kokyo" (Public for the future).

The controversial bill, now before the House of Councillors, would criminalize "acts of preparations to commit crimes such as terrorism" by changing the conditions that constitute conspiracy.

According to organizers, some 4,000 people turned out for the march which featured speakers from multiple organizations including "Mirai no tame no kokyo," all amid the hustle and bustle of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. One of the main messages of the protest was "Scrap the bill."

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: LDP eyes 4 items to be included in constitutional revision draft this year

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) plans to compile a concrete draft for revisions to the Constitution this year, considering four items to change including a reference to Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the head of the party's headquarters on constitutional revision formally indicated on June 6.

Speaking at a meeting of the LDP Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution, chief Okiharu Yasuoka stated, "We'd like to compile a concrete party proposal by around the end of the year at the latest." He added, "The public's understanding won't progress through abstract debate. By issuing a concrete proposal, the public's understanding will deepen, and we'll be able to seek a correct decision."

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Japan should remain on path of peaceful development

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China Thursday urged Japan to follow the spirit of the pacifist constitution of Japan and remain on a path of peaceful development.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily press briefing when commenting on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe' s recent attempts to amend the Constitution.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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PacificSentinel: China, and for that matter South Korea, need to realize that most countries think japan is a fundamentally different place than it was before WW2, most countries don't have a problem with Japan taking a more normal approach to it's military, in fact most ASEAN countries might like the idea of having a modern, well armed Japan to off set China and their bullying tactics in the South China Sea. The world has changed, it's time that China and South Korea put the past where it belongs, stop holding 70+ year old grudge's, and move on.

News Story: Gov't, opposition clash over U.N. expert's letter slamming 'anti-conspiracy' bill

The government and opposition have clashed over a letter by a U.N. special rapporteur criticizing Japan's so-called "anti-conspiracy" bill on the grounds that it could affect fundamental public freedoms.

In his letter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy Joseph Cannataci, stated, "The proposed bill, in its current form and in combination with other legislation, may affect the exercise of the right to privacy as well as other fundamental public freedoms given its potential broad application."

The open letter was addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and released on the website of the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. The Japanese government, which is pushing to enact the bill, protested that the content of the letter was "clearly inappropriate."

The bill to revise the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds would criminalize preparation for terrorism and other crimes by changing the conditions that constitute conspiracy. The government maintains that the bill is necessary in order to sign the U.N. Convention on Transnational Organized Crime.

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Sohei Nihi criticized the government's stance. "It says a revised bill is indispensable for the convention, but then takes a hostile view of criticism. There's no way that can pass," he said. He added that the government should hold talks with the special rapporteur.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Myanmar peace conference to enter union agreement on 33 points after reaching consent

NAY PYI TAW, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar' 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference will enter into a formal union agreement Monday on 33 points of consent reached sectorwise, according to a press conference late on Sunday evening.

The 33 points out of 41, presented by the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) and discussed sectorwise throughout the conference, include 12 points with the political sector, 11 with the economic sector, four with the social sector and six with the land and environment sector, UPDJC secretariat member U Zaw Htay told the press.

The 33-point union agreement will represent the first step towards establishing a union of democracy and federal system, he said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: LDP looks to create new article specifying SDF in Constitution

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is considering introducing a new article separate from war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution in connection with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent proposal to enshrine the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in the supreme law, it has been learned.

Prime Minister Abe argued in a video message released on May 3 that the Constitution's Article 9 should be revised to clearly define the SDF while upholding the article's first paragraph renouncing war and the second paragraph that bans Japan from maintaining any war potential.

However, instead of adding a third paragraph to Article 9, the LDP on May 24 began looking into introducing what it calls "Article 9-2" to the Constitution. By creating a separate article, the LDP aims to demonstrate that it will uphold Article 9 in its current nature. It also hopes to gain understanding from its coalition partner Komeito, which has shown reluctance toward changing the government's interpretation of Article 9 and expanding the role of the forces.

The LDP seeks to finalize its draft revision by the end of the year while working in close coordination with Komeito.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: UN privacy expert shoots down Japan's complaints about 'anti-conspiracy' bill criticism

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph Cannataci has reportedly fired back at the Japanese government for expressing displeasure with a letter he wrote criticizing Japan's so-called "anti-conspiracy" bill.

The letter, dated May 18, 2017, was sent to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and published on the website of the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.

U.N. Special Rapporteurs are unpaid, independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council to report to the U.N. on certain issues in specific countries. In 2015, Cannataci, an expert in IT legislation, became the first person to ever be appointed Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy.

In his letter, Cannataci expressed serious concern "according to the information (he had) received," that "the proposed bill, in its current form and in combination with other legislation, may affect the exercise of the right to privacy as well as other fundamental public freedoms given its potential broad application."

Cannataci also wrote, "In particular I am concerned by the risks of arbitrary application of this legislation given the vague definition of what would constitute the 'planning' and the 'preparatory actions' and given the inclusion of an overbroad range of crimes ... which are apparently unrelated to terrorism and organized crime."

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: Top officer says will be 'thankful' if Constitution mentions SDF

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The top uniformed officer of Japan's Self-Defense Forces said Tuesday he will be "very thankful" if the existence of the SDF is stipulated in the Constitution as proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the first-ever change to the postwar supreme law.

Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the SDF's Joint Staff, emphasized at a press conference in Tokyo that he was speaking as an individual officer, and not as top brass. But his remarks may stir controversy as SDF personnel are legally prohibited from engaging in what are deemed as political activities.

"I'm not in a suitable position to speak on this issue (of revising the Constitution) because it is a highly political matter. But as an SDF officer, I would be very thankful if there was a provision on the SDF in the Constitution," Kawano said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

Abe, who doubles as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, proposed earlier in the month making explicit the existence of the SDF in the text of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, which currently makes no mention of it.

Read the full story at The Mainichi