Japan upper house panel approves contentious defense bills amid chaos

By

A panel in Japan's upper house on Thursday approved legislation for a security policy shift that would allow troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two, a ruling party lawmaker said.

Opposition lawmakers tried to physically prevent the vote in a chaotic scene carried live on national television. The legislation has sparked huge protests from ordinary voters.

The government says the changes to the law, welcomed by ally Washington, are vital to meet new challenges, such as that presented by rising neighbor China, whose recent assertiveness in the South China Sea has upset countries in the region.

But opponents say the revisions, which the government aims to get voted into law by the entire upper house this week, violate the pacifist constitution and could embroil Japan in U.S.-led conflicts around the globe.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc has an upper house majority, but opposition parties have vowed to prevent a vote by the full chamber before parliament disperses on Sept. 27, even if they have to use delaying tactics such as no-confidence and censure motions. The legislation has already been approved by the lower house.

Tags
China, Shinzo Abe
Join the Discussion
More News
James Craig

Colorado Dentist Accused of Poisoning Wife's Protein Shakes Suffers Major Setback in Bid to Prove His Innocence

Jenna Rose Gerwatowski

Michigan Woman Reveals In Viral TikTok How Her Ancestry DNA Test Solved Infamous 1997 Cold Case Murder

Brandon Durham

Homeowner Killed by Cop After Calling to Report Break-In Predicted His Own Death on 911 Call: 'I Don't Think I'll Be Alive'

LGBTQ+ Support Rally

Onlookers Cheer As Trans Women Viciously Attacked by Gang of Men in Minneapolis: Report

Real Time Analytics