Japan to send troops to SE Asia

Japan is preparing to send hundreds of soldiers and several aircraft to Southeast Asia where memories of the imperial army’s brutal Second World War regime is still strong.

As many as 800 troops may be sent to help with disaster relief, but final figures are still undecided, an official said.

Defence chief Yoshinori Ono ordered the military to prepare medical aid and other assistance, a Defence Agency official said.

Japan has pledged up to £250 million in aid for tsunami disaster relief, making it the largest single donor.

Although the role of Japan’s military has been a sensitive issue for decades, especially for neighbouring Asian nations that it invaded before and during the Second World War, Tokyo has dispatched non-combat troops to support the US-led coalitions fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.