The Defense Ministry on Tuesday punished a senior Self-Defense Forces member for insulting a Diet member on a street while he was off duty, concluding in a report that his act degraded the “dignity” an SDF member should maintain.

The incident has raised doubts about whether civilian control of the SDF is properly functioning, a matter of concern in a country that has bitter memories of its failure to control the military prior to and during World War II. But the ministry denied that the case constituted a breakdown of the system.

According to the ministry, the SDF officer came across House of Councillors member Hiroyuki Konishi near the Diet building on April 16 while he was jogging at night. The officer then told Konishi, “What you are doing undermines Japan’s interests,” adding “Are you stupid?” and “You are disgusting.”

The officer admitted during a ministry probe that he made the remarks. But he has denied calling Konishi, then a member of the Democratic Party — which merged with another opposition party on Monday — “an enemy of the people” as Konishi alleged.

The officer also said during the investigation that he had an “overall image” that Konishi was often speaking against the government and the SDF and that he thought he had to “say a word” to the lawmaker.

Source: ANNnewsCH