Page 29 - MIN.ON AUG 31,2015
P. 29
WORLD NEWS A11
Monday 31 August 2015
Mothers, students join Japan’s protests over security bills
MARI YAMAGUCHI Anti-nuclear protests after Protesters shout slogans during a rally in front of the National Diet expected. But grass-roots
Associated Press the 2011 Fukushima disas- building in Tokyo, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. Thousands of Japa- groups among typically
TOKYO (AP) — Mothers ter also petered out. nese protested outside the parliament a set of security bills de- apolitical groups such as
holding their children’s Smaller protests were held signed to expand the role the country’s military. mothers and students —
hands stood in the sprin- elsewhere across the na- aided by social media —
kling rain, holding up anti- tion Sunday. The demon- (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) appear to be growing.
war placards, while stu- strations started earlier this A group called Moth-
dents chanted slogans year but grew sharply af- ers Against War started in
against Prime Minister ter July, when Abe’s ruling July and gained support-
Shinzo Abe and his de- party and its junior coalition ers rapidly via Facebook.
fense policies to the beat partner pushed the leg- It collected nearly 20,000
of a drum. Japan is seeing islation through the more signatures of people op-
new faces join the ranks of powerful lower house de- posed to the legislation,
protesters typically made spite vocal opposition from which representatives tried
up of labor union members other parties — and media unsuccessfully to submit to
and graying leftist activists. polls showing the majority Abe’s office last Friday.
On Sunday, tens of thou- of Japanese opposed the “I’m afraid the legislation
sands filled the streets out- bills. Whether the protests’ is really going to reverse
side Tokyo’s parliament to momentum signals wider the direction of this coun-
rally against new security social change remains to try, where pacifism was our
legislation likely to become be seen. They could die pride,” said a 44-year-old
law in September. out once the summer holi- architect who joined Sun-
“No to war legislation!” day is over and the legisla- day’s rally with her 5-year-
‘’Scrap the bills now!” and tion is passed, as is widely old son. q
“Abe, quit!” they chanted
in one of the summer’s big- Police:
gest protests. Their cries are
against a series of bills that Bangkok bombing suspect is not cooperating
would expand Japan’s
military role under a reinter- N. ANUSONDISAI custody for at least seven at the Erawan Shrine, which ing many that were empty,
pretation of the country’s J. GECKER days. killed 20 people, more than and police were exploring
war-renouncing constitu- Associated Press The unnamed foreigner half of whom were foreign- the theory that he was part
tion. BANGKOK (AP) — Thai po- was arrested Saturday at ers, and injured more than of a network that provided
In Japan, where people lice said Sunday the man an apartment on the out- 120 others. fake passports to migrants.
generally don’t express arrested in connection with skirts of Bangkok where po- National police spokes- He said the passports were
political views in public, Bangkok’s deadly bomb- lice seized bomb-making man Prawuth Thavornsiri from one country, but
such rallies have largely ing was being uncoopera- equipment and fake pass- told The Associated Press wouldn’t say which one.
diminished since the often tive, possibly not telling the ports. It was the first possible that police found “more He did not explain why a
violent university student truth to interrogators and breakthrough in the investi- than 200 passports” in the passport gang might target
protests in the early 1960s. would remain in military gation into the Aug. 17 blast man’s apartment, includ- a religious shrine.q
