Abe's cabinet approves draft security bills for greater SDF role

Protesters raise their fists as they shout slogans during a rally against Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet to approve Japan security bills, in front of Abe's official residence in Tokyo May 14, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Another revision would allow Japan to exercise, on a limited scope, the right to collective self-defense, or coming to the aid of allies under armed attack even if Japan itself is not attacked.

The Cabinet is expected to submit those bills to the Diet Friday. As Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito hold a majority of the seats, they are likely to pass the Diet in summer.

Those bills' enactment would mean that Abe government's right-leaning security policies, including lifting the ban on collective self-defense, revising Japan-US defense security cooperation guideline as well as expanding the SDF's overseas activities, will get a guarantee in law, a total overturn of Japan's post-war exclusively defense-orientated policies.

Abe government's move has triggered strong opposition. More than 500 people have gathered in front of the prime minister's office to protest since Thursday morning.

Some opposition lawmakers strongly criticized those bills. " They are war legislations that allow Japan to engage overseas warfare. They undermine Japan's pacifist Constitution," Yoshiki Yamashita, head of Japanese Communist Party's secretariat said.