 |
| Unrelated file photo |
TOKYO — Some 3,000 people rallied Tuesday in a Tokyo park against government plans to soften Japan’s constitutional commitment to pacifism and give its military a more active role.
The protest came after a national opinion poll showed growing public opposition to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to bolster his nation’s military.
He has argued that Japan needs to reinterpret its post-war pacifist constitution to permit “collective defense” — coming to the aid of an ally under attack.
That is not allowed under current readings of Article 9 of the US-imposed document, which says Japan forever renounces the use of force as a means of settling international disputes.
Previous governments have held that this means Japan’s military may only open fire if fired upon, even if that entails leaving US counterparts in danger on the same battlefield.
Read the full story at DefenseNews