Japan Press Weekly

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2017 November 8 - 14 [POLITICS]

Citizens join in 30 million-signature campaign to protect Article 9 through use of newspaper ad

Triggered by concerns over the dominance of PM Abe-led revisionist forces in the Diet, more and more citizens have gotten involved in a signature-collection campaign calling for the protection of Article 9 by using a signature form that can readily be found in newspapers.

A civil organization called the “No for Abe’s Amendment of Article 9! National Citizens Action”, consisting of trade unions and pro-constitution civil groups, in September launched the 30 million signature-collection campaign against PM Abe’s move to revise the war-renouncing Article 9. The organization in late October placed an advertisement for the 30 million-signature drive and a signature form in the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, and Tokyo Shimbun for the Tokyo metropolitan area. As of November 13, the organization received about 5,700 envelopes containing letters and signatures.

Each letter expresses senders’ fear that with the landslide victory in the general election, PM Abe may push forward with his ambition to change Article 9.

Many of the senders cut out the signature form from the newspapers to which they subscribe and made photocopies of the form. One sender sent the photocopies to friends and asked them for their cooperation.

A woman living in Kanagawa’s Yokosuka City in her letter wrote, “I was disappointed at the election results. But, I’m heartened by the signature form in the newspaper and decided to do everything I can to defend the pacifist Constitution.”

A woman who sent a letter from Tokyo’s Adachi Ward wrote in the letter that she took the step to collect signatures as she could not accept the election results.

A letter arrived from Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture that states: “The results of the general election are very disappointing. PM Abe’s move to undermine the Constitution’s pacifist principle is unacceptable. I believe the signature campaign will help increase public opposition to constitutional revision and foil such an attempt.”

Takada Ken, co-leader of the All-Out Action Committee which plays a major role in the 30 million-signature campaign, said, “The general election produced a huge anti-constitution camp making up a two-thirds majority in the Diet. However, the majority of the general public hold the opposite view. We will do our utmost to collect 30 million signatures and defeat PM Abe’s attempt to amend the pacifist clause.”

Past related article:
> 30 million-signature campaign launched to defeat PM Abe’s attempt to revise Article 9 [September 5, 2017]