Seamen's union protests plan to make civilian ship workers SDF reservists
The Mainichi: 30 January 2016
Though the Defense Ministry told that they do “not force anyone” this time, if LDP (leading party in Japan) will win the election in this summer, they will proceed to revise the constitution. Passing the emergency bill (which allows PM to declare the state of emergency) is their priority. Thereafter the government can force ship crews to become SDF reservists.
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The All Japan Seamen's Union protested a plan by the Ministry of Defense to make civilian ship workers reserve Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members to be called on in times of emergency, at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 29. The union released a statement calling the plan "de facto conscription that is unacceptable." While the ministry says it will "not force anyone" to act as an SDF member, the... union argues that there will be "pressure" to become one.
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The union says that in response to their opposition, they were told by a senior ministry official, "We will not force any ship workers to become SDF reservists." However, Morita says, "Nobody became a seaman in order to go to an area of battle. We can easily imagine that there will be invisible pressure from the employing companies or the government (to agree to act as an SDF reservist.)"
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A senior union official at the press conference said, "Ship crews work as teams, and they can't run a ship if even one person is missing. Will people be able to refuse to become an SDF reservist when others on the ship have agreed to do so? The ministry is asking the ferry companies to have as many of their seamen as possible become SDF reservists." In the Pacific War, most of Japan's private ships and crew members were conscripted, and over 60,000 of them died. Morita said, "We can't repeat that tragedy."
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160130/p2a/00m/0na/011000c
The Mainichi: 30 January 2016
Though the Defense Ministry told that they do “not force anyone” this time, if LDP (leading party in Japan) will win the election in this summer, they will proceed to revise the constitution. Passing the emergency bill (which allows PM to declare the state of emergency) is their priority. Thereafter the government can force ship crews to become SDF reservists.
...............................................................
The All Japan Seamen's Union protested a plan by the Ministry of Defense to make civilian ship workers reserve Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members to be called on in times of emergency, at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 29. The union released a statement calling the plan "de facto conscription that is unacceptable." While the ministry says it will "not force anyone" to act as an SDF member, the... union argues that there will be "pressure" to become one.
.
The union says that in response to their opposition, they were told by a senior ministry official, "We will not force any ship workers to become SDF reservists." However, Morita says, "Nobody became a seaman in order to go to an area of battle. We can easily imagine that there will be invisible pressure from the employing companies or the government (to agree to act as an SDF reservist.)"
.
A senior union official at the press conference said, "Ship crews work as teams, and they can't run a ship if even one person is missing. Will people be able to refuse to become an SDF reservist when others on the ship have agreed to do so? The ministry is asking the ferry companies to have as many of their seamen as possible become SDF reservists." In the Pacific War, most of Japan's private ships and crew members were conscripted, and over 60,000 of them died. Morita said, "We can't repeat that tragedy."
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160130/p2a/00m/0na/011000c
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