Yasukuni Candle Action: No National Defence Force!

The 8th Yasukuni Candle Action was held on August 10 at YMCA Hall in Tokyo. The theme of this year was "Do we allow proposed National Defence Force (kokubo-gun) to produce more war-dead-turned-gods ?"  The participants were alarmed with the situation since the return of ABE Shinzo to the PM post in December last year. In the symposium, philosopher TAKAHASHI Tetsuya, sociologist UTSUMI Aiko, Korean university professor KIM Dong-chun and journalist SHIBA Rei discussed on war from various perspectives. Utsumi spoke of strong discrimination that faced those war time Japanese soldiers who were taken captive. "Prisoners of war suffered from discrimination for years. They received less pensions, " she said. Takahashi commented on a controversial remark that ISHIBA Shigeru, Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made during the upper house election campaign in July. "Ishiba said the soldiers of National Defence Force would be subject to capital punishment in case of disobedience to their superiors. This clearly shows the LDP's militarism." After the symposium was concluded with a call for actions to question Yasukuni and build peace, participants marched in town, chanting "No National Defence Force!" Right-wingers' obstruction accompanied the march. The number of participants in the symposium and the march totaled 500. (By M)
 Photos  YouTube Video (6 min., no subtitles)

「国防軍はいらない！」～ヤスクニキャンドル行動に500人

8回目を迎えたヤスクニキャンドル行動が、8月10日、東京・YMCAホールで開催された。

テーマは「国防軍の名の下 ふたたび“英霊”をつくるのか」。安倍政権の再登場で、参加者には危機感が広がっていた。シンポジウムは、高橋哲哉・内海愛子・金東椿・志葉玲の各氏が出席し、多方面から「戦争」に迫った。内海氏は、捕虜となることも許されなかった日本兵の実態を話した。「捕虜には汚名がついて回り恩給も年金も違った」。高橋氏は「上官の命令に従わないものは死刑、と石破幹事長が言い出した。軍国主義の地金がいよいよむき出しになった」。シンポジウムは、今こそヤスクニを問い、平和の行動を起こそうと呼びかけた。この日は集会デモあわせて約500人が参加。右翼の妨害に負けずに「国防軍はいらない」の声を上げた。（M）
写真速報・動画（YouTube 6分）