 2,000 attend lecture by Article 9 Committee About 2,000 people assembled in a Kyoto hall on September 25 to listen to speeches by three public figures who are among the nine founders of the "Article 9 Committee." The speakers were writer and Novel laureate Oe Kenzaburo, constitutional scholar Okudaira Yasuhiro, and philosopher Tsurumi Shunsuke. Oe said that some people insist on the need to revise Article 9 in line with the "illegal reality" that there are Self-Defense Forces in Japan. "Using our determination to defend the Constitution, we must change the illegal reality and bring it closer to the constitutional ideal," he added. Okudaira warned that advocates of constitutional revision are trying to trick the people by bringing up discussions on Japan's becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. At a press conference following the speeches, Oe said, "It was a pleasant surprise to be able to share the wish to defend Article 9 with the audience. I don't think that those who are attempting to revise the Constitution can ignore us if we continue this activity." (end) |