Dun Renard Thousands brave rain to protest Abes plan to reinterpret Constitution An estimated 4,000 demonstrators turned out on a cold, rainy night in Tokyos Hibiya Park on March 20 to protest the Abe administrations efforts to change the interpretation of the pacifist Constitution to allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. “Allowing the government to exercise the right of collective self-defense represents destroying the foundation of constitutionalism and pacifism, concepts well displayed in the Constitution,” said Toshihiro Yamauchi, a professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University. The protest, held in an outdoor music venue, was organized by “Senso o Sasenai 1,000 nin Iinkai” (1,000 people committee to prevent war), which believes that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts will undermine the basic principles of the Constitution. “Exercising the right to collective self-defense means fighting wars together with the United States,” Nobel Prize-winning writer Kenzaburo Oe, one of the founders of the committee, told the demonstrators. “We have to prevent Japan from standing at the forefront of wars along with the United States, which is engaging in warfare across the planet.” Another member of the group, writer Keiko Ochiai, criticized Abe by making reference to his controversial under control remark. During the selection process for the 2020 Summer Olympics last September, Abe assured the International Olympic Committee that leakage of radioactive water at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was under control.” “I want to throw his words back at the prime minister,” Ochiai said. “ ‘We,’ who are determined to prevent the government from participating in a war, will control ‘you,’ who hope to engage in war.” ajw.asahi/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201403210060
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 02:17:53 +0000
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