海賊対処法案 安易な修正は避けるべきだ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Apr. 19, 2009)
If the antipiracy bill ain't broke, don't fix it
海賊対処法案　安易な修正は避けるべきだ（4月19日付・読売社説）

Cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties is desirable to ensure the early enactment of the antipiracy bill. But such cooperation should not result in the bill being amended without due consideration, as changes could compromise the effectiveness of antipiracy measures.
　法案の早期成立には与野党の協力が望ましい。だが、安易な法案修正で悪影響が出るのは避けるべきだ。

Deliberations on the antipiracy bill started at the House of Representatives last week. The bill is aimed at enabling Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels to escort not only Japan-related, but also foreign ships. Also, MSDF vessels would be able to fire at pirate ships that approach and pursue commercial ships with the aim of disabling them. These are the pillars of the government-sponsored bill.
　海賊対処法案の審議が衆院で始まった。日本関係船舶以外の外国船も警護できるようにする。民間船舶に接近し、つきまとう海賊船に対して、船体射撃で危害を与えることを認める。それが法案の柱である。

MSDF vessels are now engaged in missions to escort Japan-related ships off Somalia based on the maritime policing provision of the Self-Defense Forces Law. But these activities are stopgap measures until the new law is enacted.
　海上自衛隊の艦船は、自衛隊法の海上警備行動を根拠として、ソマリア沖で日本関係船舶を警護している。この活動は、あくまで法案成立までの応急措置だ。

The MSDF vessels have already received rescue requests from foreign vessels on two occasions and repelled the pirates with long-range acoustic devices. Their use of weapons is largely limited as it is restricted by the Mariners Law.
　既に３回、警護対象外の外国船の救援要請を受け、大音響発生装置で不審船を追い払うなどした。船員法が根拠のため武器使用が大幅に制限されている。

An early enactment of the legislation is desirable if Japan wants to ensure the effectiveness of MSDF missions.
海自が効果的な活動ができるよう、法案成立は一日でも早い方がいい。

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DPJ demands impractical

Of great interest will be how negotiations on amendments to the bill between the ruling and opposition parties turn out.
　今後の焦点は、与党と民主党の修正協議である。

The Democratic Party of Japan has asserted that an antipiracy headquarters should be established in the government, and that MSDF personnel on the mission should have dual status as members of the headquarters. The party also calls for revising the bill to require Diet approval for antipiracy operations. The current bill only requires the government to report such operations to the Diet.
　民主党は、政府に海賊対処本部を新設し、海自隊員に本部員の身分を併任させるべきだ、と主張している。法案の定める海賊対処行動の国会報告を、国会承認にすることも求めている。

But we have doubts about the DPJ's demands.
だが、いずれの主張にも疑問がある。

The proposed antipiracy headquarters is modeled after the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters overseeing Japan's contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities. Such a body, however, could well be superfluous as such a task can be assumed by the Defense Ministry.
　海賊対処本部は、国連平和維持活動（ＰＫＯ）を所管する国際平和協力本部がモデルだが、防衛省の屋上屋になりかねない。

It would be most effective to place MSDF vessels on antipiracy missions under the control of the Joint Staff of the Defense Ministry. A new body could cause confusion in the chain of command.
海自艦船は統合幕僚監部が指揮するのが最も効率的だ。新たな組織は指揮系統を混乱させる恐れがある。

Some DPJ members even go as far as saying that the Japan Coast Guard should play a leading role in antipiracy missions, and that MSDF members should be transferred to the JCG when taking on such missions. Their assertion stickles over the form in which the mission is conducted and is utterly nonsensical.
　民主党には、「海上保安庁が主体で対応すべきだ」として、海自隊員の身分を海保に移すよう求める意見まである。形式主義の極みで、全くナンセンスだ。

Behind their assertion is a notion associated with the former Japan Socialist Party that holds that "the Self-Defense Forces are bad and should not be used unless this cannot be avoided," a line of thinking that emerged in the early 1990s, underpinning calls for establishing a separate body assigned to carry out peacekeeping operations.
　この主張の背景には、１９９０年代前半のＰＫＯ「別組織論」のように、「自衛隊は悪いもので、使わない方がいい」という旧社会党的な発想がある。

It is only natural to utilize the organization that is most fit for a given mission. This is why the MSDF vessels were dispatched, not JCG ships.
　任務の内容に最もふさわしい組織を活用するのは至極当然のことだ。だからこそ、今回は、海保でなく、海自を派遣したのだ。

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Diet approval problematic

The DPJ's insistence that antipiracy operations must get Diet approval is not consistent with legal provisions governing SDF mobilization.
　海賊対処行動を国会承認事項とすることも、自衛隊を動かす法律の整合性の面で問題がある。

Maritime policing activities taken when foreign ships intrude into Japan's territorial waters do not even have to be reported to the Diet. Diet approval must be sought for exceptional activities, such as the mobilization of SDF troops when Japan is attacked or under the clear threat of armed attack, and when it is deemed that Japan's public order cannot be maintained by police.
　領海侵犯時などの海上警備行動には国会報告さえ義務づけられていない。国会承認が必要なのは、防衛出動や治安出動など、極めて限定された自衛隊の行動だ。

If Diet approval was required and the DPJ supported Diet approval for the current antipiracy mission, there would be no immediate problem. But such a provision could hamper Japan's efforts to deal with piracy in the future if it became rampant in a different sea zone.
　今回、民主党が国会承認に賛成するなら当面の支障はないが、将来、別の海域での海賊に迅速に対応できないリスクも生じる。

The ruling parties should be aware of these problems and deal carefully with amendment negotiations with opposition parties.
　与党は一連の問題を踏まえ、修正協議は慎重に進めるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 19, 2009)
（2009年4月19日01時28分 読売新聞）