Japan's new security laws to take effect

Tokyo, March 22: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday decided that the new national security laws will come into effect from March 29 which will allow the nation to exercise the right to collective self-defence.

The ruling coalition passed the controversial bills through the parliament last year and enacted the legislation in September 2015 amid strong opposition from the public and academics due to its unconstitutionality, Xinhua news agency reported.

The legislation allow the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to engage in armed conflicts overseas and exercise the right to collective self-defense.

However, the Japanese war-renouncing constitution banned the SDF from exercising the right to collective defense.

Over 90 percent of the country's constitutional experts see the new legislation violating the supreme law and the enactment of the legislation triggered large scale of protests across the nation.

Analysts here said the prime minister would delay the framework for the SDF to carry out the enlarged tasks, with worries that the move would impact on the ruling bloc's campaign over the coming upper house election, which is key to Abe to launch a motion to amend the constitution.

On March 19, over 5,000 protesters rallied in downtown Tokyo opposing the security legislation.

IANS