ニュース 2009/04/23 Kawauchi makes speech opposing anti-piracy legislation On April 23, DPJ Diet member Hiroshi Kawauchi made a speech in opposition to the anti-piracy legislation in the plenary session of the House of Representatives. In his speech, Kawauchi said that acts of piracy were a common enemy of humanity, and that anti-piracy operations represented a significant contribution to the international community, but emphasised that the government’s anti-piracy legislation treated “the dispatch of the SDF as the be all and end all” and could not be permitted from the viewpoint of civilian control. Kawauchi first pointed out that anti-piracy operations were normally the responsibility of the Japan Coast Guard, and that Article 4 of the Japan Coast Guard Law stipulated that “Vessels and aircraft should have the appropriate construction, equipment and capabilities for carrying out their mission.” He severely criticised the government for simply deciding to dispatch the SDF, without taking the necessary budgetary measures or considering the construction of vessels and the like for the Japan Coast Guard. Kawauchi went on to refer to the fact that the DPJ had established an anti-piracy headquarters and had engaged in negotiations for an amendment calling for prior Diet approval before dispatching the SDF, and strongly protested the total failure of the government to respond. He went on to emphasise that civilian control by the Diet was essential, citing the fact that on this occasion in contrast to the usual pattern, the current SDF mission “was an extremely dangerous operation in which [the SDF] might be forced to make a response in which they may have to use weapons if necessary and which is extremely close to that of an actual battle permitting the use of weapons, and during which they had to be prepared, depending on the circumstances, for possible casualties.” The legislation was approved by the ruling party majority in the House of Representatives.