海上保安庁 領海警備の体制強化を急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 26, 2010)
Boost JCG ability to guard territorial waters
海上保安庁　領海警備の体制強化を急げ（11月25日付・読売社説）

The Sept. 7 collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels in Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands is a reminder of the importance of protecting this nation's waters. The ability of the JCG to guard this nation's territorial waters needs to be steadily reinforced.
　日本領海内の尖閣諸島沖で起きた中国漁船衝突事件は、領海警備の重要性を改めて浮き彫りにした。海上保安庁による警備体制を着実に強化していかなければならない。

Since the collisions, Beijing has frequently sent fishery patrol vessels to waters near the islands. Last weekend, China again made its presence known by having two patrol vessels sail close to the area. One vessel was a helicopter-equipped, state-of-the-art fishery patrol boat armed with machine guns.
　今回の衝突事件を機に中国は、漁業監視船を頻繁に尖閣諸島の近海に送り込んでいる。先週末も監視船２隻が領海近くまで接近するなど示威行動を取った。２隻のうち１隻はヘリを搭載し、機関砲を装備した最新型だ。

China is trying to boost its control over disputed waters in the South China Sea by dispatching armed fishery patrol boats under the pretext of protecting its fishing vessels. Beijing is possibly taking similar action in the East China Sea, too. Galvanizing the JCG's ability to patrol and guard Japan's waters is an urgent task.
　中国は南シナ海で、武装した漁業監視船を漁船保護の名目で派遣し、実効支配を強めようとしている。東シナ海でも、同様の動きに出ているのではないか。海保の監視・警戒体制の増強は急務だ。

Vessels too old

JCG has eight patrol ships and six smaller patrol boats based at the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, which exercises control over waters near the islands. But some are showing their age and have reached the end of their useful life. Their hulls have corroded and they are too slow to perform their duties properly, among other shortcomings.
　海保は、尖閣諸島近海を管轄する第１１管区海上保安本部に巡視船８隻と、より小型の巡視艇６隻を配備しているが、中には耐用年数を超えた老朽船艇もある。

The JCG's activities will be seriously affected if the vessels remain in less-than-shipshape condition.
　船体の腐食や、速力不足など性能面の劣化が進み、このままでは業務にも支障が出かねない。

The JCG plans to replace 10 large patrol vessels that are particularly timeworn among the 87 vessels that have reached the end of their useful life. However, replacing these ships will take at least six years. We think this is too long. The JCG should build these new vessels faster.
　海保は、保有する船艇で耐用年数を超えている８７隻のうち、特に老朽著しい大型巡視船１０隻を新型と入れ替える計画だが、それが完了するのは早くて６年先という。あまりに悠長だ。新型船艇の建造を加速させるべきだ。

There also are problems in the communications systems between ships, airplanes and helicopters.
　船艇や航空機、ヘリなど相互の通信体制にも問題がある。

The JCG has not installed digital radio equipment that sends extremely secure transmission on all its vessels and aircraft. Some are still equipped only with analog radios, whose communications can reportedly be monitored by radios available on the market.
　秘匿性に優れたデジタル型無線機が行き渡らず、一部がアナログ型のため、市販の無線機で傍受可能という。

As things stand, JCG vessels and aircraft cannot share any important information with vessels of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. These communication systems must be upgraded as soon as possible.
これでは海上自衛隊の艦船と重要情報を共有できない。早急に一新する必要がある。

Legal framework needed

As Pyongyang's artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, earlier this week showed, Japan must remain on guard against North Korea.
　韓国・延坪(ヨンピョン)島(ド)への砲撃事件をみても、北朝鮮に対する備えは怠るわけにいかない。

However, shortcomings in domestic laws that surfaced following two incidents involving North Korean spy ships about a decade ago remain uncorrected. Japan had to deal with the spy ships by invoking the Fisheries Law and other laws, as there was no legislation designed specifically to deal with violations of territorial waters.
　だが、２度の北朝鮮の工作船事件で表面化した国内法の不備は、依然として改まっていない。工作船事件では、領海侵犯そのものを取り締まる法律がないために、漁業法などを援用して対応せざるを得なかった。

A suprapartisan group of lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party are advocating the Territorial Sea Law be revised to make violating Japan's territorial waters an offense.
　民主、自民両党議員らで作る超党派の議員連盟は、領海法を改正して「領海侵犯罪」を創設するよう提言している。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku indicated at a press conference he wants necessary domestic legal framework enacted more quickly. We think this is quite reasonable. The ruling and opposition parties should cooperate to get the relevant laws put in place.
仙谷官房長官も記者会見で、法整備を急ぐ考えを示した。当然だろう。与野党は協力して是正に動くべきだ。

Needless to say, it is also necessary to review the slipshod information management system that was exposed by a JCG officer's recent leaking of video footage showing the Chinese trawler ramming into the JCG vessels.
　海上保安官による衝突事件の映像流出問題で露呈した、杜撰(ずさん)な情報管理体制を見直すのは言うまでもない。

Fingers have been pointed at the JCG chain of command since the officer leaked the video without permission. The JCG must do more to ensure its officers maintain discipline.
一保安官が勝手に映像を流出させたことで、海上保安庁全体の指揮命令系統にも疑問符がついた。職員の綱紀粛正も併せて徹底しなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 25, 2010)
（2010年11月25日01時15分 読売新聞）