Glorifying wars, insulting heroes to result in stiff penalties

People who glorify wars such as posing in imperial Japanese military uniforms will be punished in accordance with the law, according to a draft law unveiled on Wednesday.

The new clause was added during the second review of the draft law on protecting the reputation of heroes and martyrs submitted to the bimonthly session of China's top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Suggested by the committee members and the public, the change was made to deal with the incidents where some people have taken pictures in imperial Japanese military uniforms and posted them online to glorify the invasion in recent years, Hu Keming, deputy director of NPC's Constitution and Law Committee, said on Wednesday.

Such behaviors have damaged the dignity of the state, hurt people's feelings and created a negative effect on society. As a result, their legal consequences need to be further clarified and the penalties will be increased, Hu added.

The draft law also prohibits people from insulting heroes and stipulates that network operators should respond quickly if they find messages harmful to heroes.