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© Thomson Reuters 2020.Gov't set to revise law allowing Abe to declare state of emergency over virus
By Linda Sieg TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
27 Comments
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smithinjapan
So... hang on a sec... the "news" is that a law has been rushed through to allow Abe to think about doing something? Wake me up when he decides to actually DO something effect. I could use the hibernation.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Excuse me, but japan is declaring many things irrelivent and now this sate of emergency ???. I thought that japan was blaming S.Korea and China ???. wrong law, maybe japan abe have to build a electronic wall around the island and and the invest in finding the cure ???. the japanese that have contacted the corona virus did not travel to china except one or two. PLs make sure taxpayers know what is this bill exactly for ???.
Abu Esha
Abe sori wa need to declare emergency this virus can spread like wildfire through Japan like it did in korea.
Dan Lavender
draconian laws for a draconian leader...
rushed through parliament without due consideration...
all in the name of 'protecting the public'...
how very convenient Mr.Abe...
u sly fox.
Will Goode
Two years with one year extension seems like long time, too long
kurisupisu
The death rate I have seen worldwide is between 3-4 per cent.
Japan with a very high proportion of elderly should surpass that percentage as the elderly are not hesitant to go about their business and have had not government ‘urges’ placed in them.
I should think a high number of elderly will soon be infected
And for those thinking the virus is far away should rethink!
Yrral
Kurus,i get my info from Chinese state radio, it more accurate and reliable than hearsay in western source
Patricia Yarrow
PM Abe cannot launch effective action without declaring an emergency situation? He only has legal rights to govern during normal times? What am I missing here?
SumoBob
Two years of a 'declared emergency' in which the LDP would have carte blanche to do what they like in the name of protecting the people. Think of all the constitutional amendments and pension fund reforms they can enact during that time.
Christmas has come early for Nippon Kaigi.
dougthehead13
Patricia Yarrow Today 08:38 pm JST
The current constitution, written in 1946, does not contemplate emergency scenarios such as the suspension of free movement of civil law. A state of siege or exception simply does not exist. And they are unconstitutional under criminal law.
Abe and the LDP government could face high prison charges if they try to declare a state of emergency under the current law. That's why the Diet is being forced to create an exceptional law. Only for the coronavirus. Which is also for a very limited time period in effect.
I hope I've helped clear up your doubts.
noriahojanen
Generally speaking, I see the law revision/addition necessary not so much for the sake of the current outbreak as of future virus crises including biochemical terrorism. A series of "abrupt" moves such as nationwide school closure or travel restrictions, no matter how urgent and effective, are arbitrary, not legally grounded, subject to scrutiny. The legislation should take into account many factors, often interrelated with each other. It should aim to maintain the balance of social order and civil liberty.
Judging from stats and updates, Covid-19-led case will soon fade away, at least in Japan. Time to think about how smoothly to bring our soicoeconomic life back on track.
WA4TKG
Thanks DougthePotHead:
I knew someone out there could explain it rather than just talking trash.
rgcivilian1
In a recent opinion poll, 50% said they didn't approve of Abe's handling of the outbreak, versus 37% who said they did.
When and who was the target audience and response parameters? From all accounts in just reading posts at 2 sites it is mostly 90% unapproved vs 10% approval rating. That is most realistic with what is posted, published and commented on TV shows and talk radio.
Akie
"Among criticisms is that Abe's government was too slow to put curbs on visitors from China".
False accusation, as simple as that. China already implemented travel restriction long before Abe could do anything, there is no real value to put a symbolic curbs.
The real slow is restrictions of movement of people inside of Japan, and lack of extensive testing. In China, once people were identified to be virus positive, they would be isolated from home, to a facility, like hospitals or hotels, for centralized treatment, all free.
Akie
rgcivilian1, doing right thing doesn't need any proofs. No people trust doctors or nurses voted by populations, they are all fakes. Epidemics is epidemics, you need professionally trained doctors.
Jeff Ko
I support Abe on this. Abe is given too little power to do anything meaningful and impactful in a crisis. Give Abe more power so that he can properly be equipped to guide Japan to its former glory!
Strikebreaker555
Hey, Abe. Don't take tribute for something the DPJ legislated when they were in charge back in 2012. You're an expert in taking pride for someone else's work. Show some humbleness to your opposition at least! After all they managed to ensure the biggest uproar in Japanese electorate history in 2009.
Strangerland
People act like the CFR (Case Fatality Rate - which some people refer to as the "death rate") is a precise science. The WHO, who puts out their own CFR estimates, have stated that it's way too early to tell exactly what the rate is, and that they are just making estimates and adjusting as they go, and that it varies by region. There is no one absolute death rate that is consistent around the world.
fillmore2
so he didn't do anything before, now he has power to do something? what's he going to do?
Is he going to declare marshal law and closed down Chinatown and Koreantown?
Close down schools, neighborhood? companies?
ban foreigners now,
what's he being doing past month?
where are the testing kits? how many do you have over 100 million people, how many kits do you have man?
blahblah222
Just for show. Japan would never declare an emergency before the Olympics. The last paragraph sums up the Japanese response: will do absolutely nothing besides suppressing testing and access to health care
Yrral
They say if the virus, make it way in the lung, this is first chance it begin the process of killing you, by destroying the lung with infection of it choosing, causing other part of your body, too start dying
Akie
As they say, wear what you have to wear, to protect you, and your love ones.
Yrral
Akie I educate myself everyday, from reliable sources, this virus mutate inside the person, who get infected, even if the person that infect you, may have a mild case, you could get critical case of the virus ,that put you on ventilator
AramaTaihenNoYouDidnt
You'll be sooorryyyy!!
Tom
By not testing everywhere and having very few deaths proves that the virus is actually week as it is everywhere.
Giving Abe this power is like giving Tojo an atom bomb to watch over during WWII