People try to keep war-renouncing article of Japan's Constitution

Thousands of people gathered to voice opposition to possible revision of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in Tokyo Saturday, Kyodo News reported.

The public meeting was sponsored by the Article 9 Association, which was established in June last year by nine prominent intellectuals, including Kenzaburo Oe, 1994 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, to seek a coalition of various political powers and the public to defend the constitutional clause.

Mutsuko Miki, one of the founding members and wife of the late Prime Minister Takeo Miki, was quoted as saying, "I experienced wars during my 88 years of life. I hope Japan will be a peaceful country without armed forces, by maintaining Article 9."

Referring to ongoing deployment of the Self-Defense Ground Forces in Iraq for a humanitarian mission, Miki said, "I do not understand why they have to go there with instruments for war. I hope we can work for peace."

Inspired by the move of the association, more than 3,000 local groups to seek public support for Article 9 have been established as of Saturday, according to Kyodo.

Source: Xinhua