Japan's citic groups submit 12 mln signatures opposing security law

Japan's civic groups held a rally here on Thursday, submitting 12 million signatures demanding repeal of a controversial security law to the Diet through opposition parties.

Last November, various civic groups launched a public campaign in a coordinated effort aiming to collect 20 million signatures to scrap the war legislation. They have collected 12 million signatures so far from all trades and professions through visiting people's homes and mailing.

Representatives from the Anti-War Committee of 1,000, the Scholars' Association of Anti-Security-Laws, the Association of Japan's Visually Handicapped People and participants of the rally submitted their signatures to the Diet members from the Democratic Party, the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the People's Life Party during the rally.

Shingo Fukuyama, representative of the Anti-War Committee of 1,000, stressed at the gathering that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government put Japan's pacifism and constitutionalism in danger after WWII.

"It is unbearable and the 12 million signatures are refelctive of true opinion of the peace-loving Japanese people," Fukuyama said.

Scholars, lawyers and participants of the rally called on the opposition parties to strengthen their cooperation and the Japanese people to take an active part in the voting so as to overthrow the Abe administration in the up-coming Upper House election. Enditem