Posted on 10/16/2001 5:25:32 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
TOKYO, Oct 16, 2001 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- Protest activities continued near the Diet on Tuesday, with citizens groups demonstrating against the U.S.-led attacks on Taliban targets in Afghanistan as well as a bill allowing Japan to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) overseas to provide noncombat support for the military operation.
About 160 people, including lawmakers from opposition parties and women's organizations, took part in a women's gathering against terrorism and military retaliation held at the building of House of Councillors members.
"Use of military force is not deterring terrorism but paving the way for the next terrorist attack," writer Keiko Ochiai told the gathering.
Kyosen Ohashi, an upper house member from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said, "The attack in Afghanistan is ultimate genocide. Japan is trying to provide rear-area support for that. We need to prevent this."
Opposition Social Democratic Party leader Takako Doi said, "It is a contradiction to aid refugees while transporting arms and ammunition and saying, please kill."
Meanwhile, in front of the building of upper house lawmakers, about 200 people from peace groups and students' groups held banners and conducted a sit-in protest over the retaliatory attacks.
In Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, the Japan Confederation of A- and H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations conducted protest activities calling for the attacks to be stopped.
Satoru Konishi, deputy head of the confederation's secretariat, said, "There is no greater terrorist attack than the dropping of the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but atomic bomb victims have been denouncing retaliation, saying it cannot stop violence. We can never condone assisting in war."
Earlier in the day, a House of Representatives panel passed the bill allowing Japan to dispatch the SDF overseas to provide noncombat support for the U.S.-led military operation.
The bill is expected to pass the lower house plenary session Thursday. The ruling camp plans to enact the legislation as early as Oct. 26, following its expected passage by the upper chamber of the Diet.
Among the activities covered by the bill are providing supplies and services such as medical treatment to U.S. troops and those of its allies. It also says the SDF can engage in search and rescue operations and assist refugees.
2001 Kyodo News (c) Established 1945
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