Friday, August 14, 2015

Japan's cabinet approves PM's war anniversary statement

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's war anniversary statement was endorsed by his cabinet Friday in an extraordinary meeting.

The prime minister is to issue the statement, which now represents the current Japanese government's official stance on the country's wartime history, at a press conference at 6 p.m. ( 0900 GMT) Friday.

Content of the statement remained unclear, but whether Abe will apologize for Japan's wartime aggression and colonial rule is closely watched by the international community.

Through the statement, the prime minister has a chance either to make a step forward to mend ties with its neighbors, or to jolt current weak improvement.

  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
14/8/15
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Related:
  • Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday expressed "utmost grief" for the suffering Japan inflicted in World War Two, but said that future generations of Japanese should not have to keep apologizing for the mistakes of the past.
Abe, marking the 70th anniversary of World War Two's end, also said he upheld past government apologies over the war including the landmark 1995 statement by then-premier Tomiichi Murayama, but offered no new apology of his own.

The legacy of the war still haunts relations with China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan's sometimes brutal occupation and colonial rule before Tokyo's defeat in 1945.
Beijing and Seoul had made clear they wanted Abe to stick to the 1995 "heartfelt apology" for suffering caused by Tokyo's "colonial rule and aggression."

"Upon the innocent people did our country inflict immeasurable damage and suffering," Abe said in a statement.

"When I squarely contemplate this obvious fact, even now, I find myself speechless and my heart is rent with the utmost grief.".....Reuters........dailystar.com.lb
14/8/15

3 comments:

  1. Abe war statement welcomed by White House, called impersonal by U.S. media...

    The White House welcomed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement on Friday expressing remorse over the country’s wartime actions, but influential U.S. news outlets criticized Abe for failing to apologize in his own words.

    “We welcome Prime Minister Abe’s expression of deep remorse for the suffering caused by Japan during the World War II era,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said, referring to the statement Abe released a day before the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the war.

    Price commended Abe for “his commitment to uphold past Japanese government statements on history.”..........Kyodo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Japanese Emperor Akihito marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two with an expression of "deep remorse" over the conflict on Saturday, a departure from his annual script which could be seen as a subtle rebuke of conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe...

    Abe on Friday expressed "utmost grief", but said future generations should not have to keep apologizing for the mistakes of the past. He offered no fresh apology of his own.

    "Looking back at the past, together with deep remorse over the war, I pray that this tragedy of war will not be repeated and together with the people, express my deep condolences for those who fell in battle and in the ravages of war, and pray for world peace and the further prosperity of our country," Akihito, 81, said at a memorial service on the anniversary of the day his father, Hirohito, announced Japan's defeat.

    The legacy of the war still haunts relations with China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan's sometimes brutal occupation and colonial rule before Tokyo's defeat in 1945.

    The soft-spoken Akihito has often urged Japan not to forget the suffering of the war and tried to promote reconciliation with Asian countries. His comments have attracted increased attention at a time when Abe appears to be pushing for a less apologetic tone towards Japan's past.

    Akihito had expressed remorse before, but not at the annual service. The widely respected emperor is banned by the constitution from any political role, so his remarks need to be carefully nuanced..........http://www.todayonline.com/world/japan-pm-abe-sends-ritual-offering-yasukuni-shrine-ww2-anniversary
    15/8/15

    ReplyDelete
  3. China slams Abe’s WWII statement, calls it ‘evasive’...

    China has criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement on World War II as “evasive.”

    “The wars of aggression launched by Japanese militarism inflicted untold sufferings on the people of China and other victim countries in Asia,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement on Saturday, adding that facing up to that part of history is important for keeping in mind the lessons of the past and upholding justice.

    “Japan should have made an explicit statement on the nature of the war of militarism and aggression and its responsibility on the wars, made a sincere apology to the people of victim countries, and made a clean break with the past of militarist aggression, rather than being evasive on this major issue of principle,” she said............http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/15/national/politics-diplomacy/beijing-mum-abes-wwii-statement-xinhua-english-commentary-hits-retrogression/#.Vc72tLUpr2Z
    15/8/15

    ReplyDelete

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