Japan cabinet okays controversial resolution on pacifist constitution

Despite strong criticism from home and abroad, the Japanese cabinet Tuesday approved a resolution that will allow the country to exercise the right to collective self-defence by reinterpreting the country's pacifist constitution.

The resolution, which is regarded as a major overhaul of Japan's post-war security policy, sets three new conditions that would enable exercise of the right to collective self-defence, including when there are "clear dangers" to the lives of its people and their rights due to armed attacks on Japan or "countries with close ties", Xinhua reported

It, in substance, will enable Japan to take military action to defend other countries even though the nation itself is not under attack, marking a major overhaul from Japan's exclusively defence-oriented policy in the post-war era.

According to the cabinet decision, Japan would also speed up the dispatch of its Self-Defence Force to "gray zone" low intensity situations that stop short of military attacks, and examine extending logistical and other support in peacekeeping missions overseas.

After the cabinet approval, the government is expected to prepare the legal framework by revising and creating relevant laws to implement the policy change, said Japan's Kyodo News Agency.

The move has been strongly opposed by Japanese people. Polls conducted by major Japanese newspapers showed that more than half of Japanese opposed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to lift the self-imposed ban on collective self-defence.

According to a survey conducted June 27-29 by Japan's Nikkei News, 54 percent of respondents said no to reinterpretation of Japan's anti-war constitution and only 29 percent of the respondents support the move.

Another poll by Mainichi Shimbun showed that 58 percent of respondents were against the way Abe used to give the green light to collective self-defence, while 38 percent voted for his efforts.