英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Diet debate must be deepened on collective self-defense right
集団的自衛権　国会の論議をさらに深めたい

Diet debate must be intensified further on what can or cannot be done under the government’s new interpretation of the Constitution that would enable a limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense.
　集団的自衛権の行使を限定的に容認する新たな政府見解により、何ができ、何ができないのか。国会での議論をさらに深めることが重要だ。

The first Diet discussions on the matter since the Cabinet approval of the new interpretation were held at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Monday. Banri Kaieda, president of major opposition party the Democratic Party of Japan, expressed strong opposition to the Cabinet’s decision on the new interpretation, arguing: “The government has made an about-face in constitutional interpretation without holding Diet discussions. Is it all right to make a decision without listening to the people’s opinions?”
　新見解の閣議決定後初の国会論戦が、衆院予算委員会で行われた。民主党の海江田代表は、閣議決定について「国会の議論をせず、憲法解釈を百八十度変える。国民の声を無視して決めて良いのか」と反対する考えを強調した。

Countering that 70 lawmakers had been involved in question-and-answer sessions, including intensive deliberations, in addition to discussions by an expert panel and consultative talks between the ruling parties, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe brushed aside the criticism that the Cabinet decision was made “with more haste than caution.”
　安倍首相は、有識者会議の議論や与党協議に加え、国会の集中審議などで議員７０人の質疑があったとし、「閣議決定が拙速だとの指摘は当たらない」と反論した。

Abe’s contention is reasonable because the government and ruling parties went through adequate procedures before making the Cabinet decision.
　政府・与党は十分に手順を踏んでおり、首相の主張は妥当だ。

Diet deliberations will be conducted on bills related to a limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense. We hope to see that the planned sessions will serve as forums to hold intensive discussions about specific cases in which the right will be exercised, so as to win over a greater number of the people on the new constitutional interpretation.
　今後、関連法案の国会審議も行われる。より多くの国民が新見解を理解するよう、具体的事例に即して集中的に議論する機会としたい。

It is also indispensable to hold discussions on the security environment around Japan, which has been growing more severe due to such factors as North Korea’s recent series of ballistic missile launches.
最近の北朝鮮の相次ぐ弾道ミサイル発射など、厳しさを増す国際情勢の論議も欠かせない。

Referring to the three conditions newly set for exercise of the right of collective self-defense, including “there is a clear danger that the people’s rights will be fundamentally undermined,” Abe presented criteria for judgment on whether to approve an exercise of the right.
　「国民の権利を根本から覆す明白な危険」などの集団的自衛権行使の新３要件について首相は、行使の可否の判断基準を示した。

Abe said the government will make judgments by “comprehensively considering” such factors as “the intention and capability of a country threatening to attack, and the location, scale and situation of a contingency,” and in light of “the seriousness and graveness of damage anticipated to be suffered by the people.”
　「攻撃国の意思、能力、事態の発生場所、規模、態様」などを政府が「総合的に勘案」し、「国民が被る犠牲の深刻性、重大性」などから判断する、と語った。

Too many constraints harmful

The DPJ’s Katsuya Okada, a former deputy prime minister, criticized the government, saying, “The criteria for judgment are ambiguous, and this leaves much room for [the government’s] discretion.”
　民主党の岡田克也前副総理は「基準があいまいで（政府の）裁量の余地が大きい」と批判した。

Limiting the exercise of the right of collective self-defense is unavoidable to maintain the legal consistency of constitutional interpretation. However, if too much emphasis is placed on restraints for their own sake, it would lead to excessively restricting the scope of Self-Defense Forces activities and the effectiveness of their operations would be lost.
　集団的自衛権の行使を限定的にするのは、憲法解釈の法的整合性を保つためにやむを得ない。だが、限定のための「歯止め」ばかりを重視すれば、自衛隊の活動を過度に制約し、実効性が失われる。

Giving the government a certain level of discretionary power is a realistic option to make it possible to deal with various situations effectively.
　様々な事態に効果的に対処できるよう、政府に一定の裁量権を認めることが現実的である。

While stressing that the SDF will not take part in international military operations such as those during the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, Abe showed an interest in the SDF’s participation in minesweeping operations, saying that they are “passive and limited and different in nature [in terms of the use of force].”
　首相は、イラク・湾岸戦争のような海外での武力行使には参加しないと強調する一方で、機雷除去には意欲を示した。掃海活動は「受動的、限定的で、（武力行使の）性格が違う」と語った。

The idea of differentiating between attacks on other countries and minesweeping operations is understandable. We hope to see the government provide more detailed and comprehensible explanations on the matter.
　他国への攻撃と掃海を区別する考え方は理解できる。より丁寧で分かりやすい説明を求めたい。

The DPJ is opposed to the government resorting to changing the constitutional interpretation to approve the exercise of the right of collective self-defense, but has yet to reach a conclusion of its own on whether to approve a limited use of the right. This is because the party has avoided internal discussions of national security due to intraparty differences of opinion. The party should present a unified view of national security as soon as possible.
　民主党は、憲法解釈の変更という手法には反対しているが、集団的自衛権の限定容認の可否については結論を出せていない。党内に賛否両論を抱え、安全保障論議を避けてきたツケである。早く党の統一見解を示すべきだ。

Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) and Your Party have already decided to endorse the limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense. The government and ruling parties must make steady efforts to compile relevant bills that would enable the limited use of the right.
　日本維新の会やみんなの党は既に、限定容認への支持を決めている。政府・与党は、関連法の整備を着実に進めてもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 15, 2014)