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disaster relief and reconstruction aspects. So interchangeable has peacekeeping become
with international disaster relief efforts that even government pollsters frequently mix
the two. Polls conducted by the Prime Minister’s office that ask Japanese about the
SDF’s “international contribution” define this as “participation in and cooperation with
UN peacekeeping and international emergency relief.”
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Moreover, as the tables below
indicate, rising support for Japanese participation in peacekeeping has paralleled (albeit
at a slightly lower level) with support for participation in international disaster relief
missions.
Asahi Shimbun, September 1992:
The SDF has been dispatched overseas for UN
peacekeeping operations in Cambodia.
In other words, for PKO.
Do you agree with
this?
Do you oppose this?
Agree
52
Oppose
36
Other/DK
12
Yomiuri Shimbun, May 1994: Support SDF participation in UN peacekeeping?
Yes
70.5%
Poll conducted by the Publicity Office of the Prime Minister’s Office, January 2000:
SDF Participation in future UN Peacekeeping operations?
Agree/ Can’t Say/ Disagree/Disagree
Agree Somewhat DK Somewhat
Feb-91
45.5
16.6
37.9
Jan-94
48.4
21
30.6
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