A step out of pacifism

JSDF dispatched to Southern Sudan has given a new mission "kaketsuke-keigo". It is to deploy a strategy to help the non military personnel of NPO etc or, though in this case this is still excluded, the military of the other countries upon request. It will be none other than military involvement in the civil war actually getting worsened since this summer. The government and the Ministry of Self Defense are cheating the people with this strange term written in Japanese. JSDF is supposed not to be involved in any battle action as our constitution says. It is the reason for this weird deceptive terminology.

In Southern Sudan, there is a chaotic civil war going on for the profit with oil. Two major factions have agreed ceasing fire but, as told before, it has been thrown into waste basket since this summer. The actual situation is a civil war 63 tribes join. More than one million people have been evacuated to the other countries and are in critical situation for foods and sanitary.

What the developed countries should do is to support those refugees with foods and the infrastructures necessary for them. The other point is to ban the import of arms into this area in conflict. Some sources have traded with them between oil and arms. In UN, the USA has finally lead the discussion to ban that arm import. It should be strictly done as soon as possible. It is surprising that they haven't done it yet.

Our JSDF, dispatched as PKO of UN there, has done construction or road maintenance for a few years. However, the government has turned its mission to involvement in the civil war itself. They say it is to join the Horn of Africa strategy by the USA, which is intended to keep in concession there with military presence against China. Our government is aiming to drive the people into revision of the constitution. Yes, they would like to renascent the nationalistic regime before WWII.

JSDF is recruiting young people into it. The tuition for university is getting more expensive while the students' parents are getting smaller amount of salary. The grant they get during studying should be refunded after starting working. It amounted up to 4 million yen. The percentage of the irregular non full time employment among all employed after graduation is about 30%. This situation makes some of the graduates attracted to JSDF. Isn't it the economical conscription?

Anyway, this change may be a significant step out of a country of pacifism into a ordinary country which makes military battle abroad.