Abe to express ‘remorse’ over World War II
Print Edition
IN a year that marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, a question weighs on the minds of policymakers in Asia and as far away as the United States: What will Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe say about his country’s role?
At a news conference yesterday, Abe sought to reassure the world that he wouldn’t veer from past official statements on Japan’s wartime responsibility. Many analysts have speculated that Abe, known for his nationalist views, might downplay Japan’s wartime role.
“The Abe Cabinet will uphold the general stance on history of successive prime ministers, including the Murayama statement,” he said, referring to a 1995 apology made by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the 50th anniversary of the war’s end.
Abe said in the city of Ise that his government would draft a new statement “that includes Japan’s remorse for the war,” though he stopped short of saying it would again apologize.
The statement will be issued around the anniversary of the end of the war on August 15.
Seventy years on, the scars of World War II still poison relations in Asia, particularly between Japan and China and South Korea, both victims of Japan’s wartime aggression.
Commemorative events will be held around the world, but in Asia it’s not just about remembering the past. The tenor of the events and the specific words chosen by leaders in each country will have current implications for Japan’s still strained relations with its neighbors.
In an editorial, the Asahi newspaper said Abe needs to face up to Japan’s war responsibility.
“If Japan starts talking about the future without seriously facing up to its past, countries that suffered from Japan’s wartime behavior could start wondering if the Japanese are saying, ‘Let’s forget the past,’” it wrote.
Analysts said it’s too early to predict what Abe will say in August. While he may not revise the Murayama statement, he can still undermine it, said Koichi Nakano, a politics professor at Tokyo’s Sophia University.
“There has been growing concern that Abe might try to effectively overwrite the Murayama statement with the ‘Abe statement,’” he said.
Japanese Emperor Akihito, in his annual New Year’s message, also stressed the need to remember the past. “So many people lost their lives in this war,” he said in a statement. “I think it is most important for us to take this opportunity to study and learn from the history of this war, starting with the September 18 Incident of 1931, as we consider the future direction of our country.”
The proof, China says, will lie in Japan’s actions. “We hope Japan can match its words, honestly facing up to its history of aggression, and abide by all the solemn statements and promises it has made on the issue of history,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said yesterday.
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