Japan moves closer to approving security bills

Tensions were running high in Japan's parliament on Thursday, as members of the opposition and ruling parties pushed and shoved each other after the committee's vote.

The opposition has been battling to block the controversial legislation for a policy shift, which would allow the military to defend Japan's allies even when the country itself isn't under attack, and to do more in international peacekeeping.

In scenes unusually raucous for Japanese politics, opposition lawmakers had packed the corridors of the upper house in protest and surrounded the chairman of the security legislation committee in a bid to prevent physically a vote overnight. The Committee, however, approved the bills later on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has argued that Japan needs the change in order to play a role in global peacekeeping efforts and to meet challenges posed by the rise of China and an unpredictable North Korea. But opponents say the legislation violates the pacifist constitution and puts Japan at risk of being drawn into US-led wars.

Katsuya Okada, head of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said it was "outrageous" for Abe's ruling block to rush a vote on legislation that has split the nation. "We must join our forces and block their ploy," he said.

The bills cleared the lower house of parliament last month. Now that they've been pushed through the committee, they are scheduled to be sent to a plenary session of the upper house, where Abe's ruling bloc has a majority. Opposition lawmakers have vowed to stall the vote, even if they have to use delaying tactics like no-confidence motions.

Protests from voters

The controversial bill has triggered huge protests on the streets of Tokyo in recent weeks. Around 10,000 people gathered outside parliament on Wednesday night, as lawmakers debated the legislation inside. Polls show the majority of Japanese oppose the new legislation, which follows years of debate over the role of the country's military.

Under Japan's constitution, imposed by the US after the Second World War, the armed forces are barred from taking part in combat except in pure self-defense. This pacifist approach has since become a source of pride for many Japanese.

Washington has welcomed Japan's security policy shift, as have some Southeast Asian countries, troubled by China's actions in the disputed South China Sea. China, on the other hand, has said the legislation would "complicate" regional security.

nm/jil (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)