A Democratic Party of Japan panel on Thursday called for the ban on Japanese participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations to be scrapped and for the five guidelines for Japan becoming involved in operations to be reviewed.
The current law, enacted in June 1992, cites the Constitution in banning the Self-Defense Forces from the peacekeeping forces and sets strict conditions on sending personnel abroad to participate in such operations.
The panel proposed that the ban be lifted in certain cases, such as to monitor ceasefires and disarmament agreements, prisoner exchanges and the protection of U.N. personnel.