Prime Minister Abe’s statement
Now, let’s look at what Mr Shinzo Abe said. He began his statement reflecting upon Japan’s road to war in the last century and vowing to learn from the lesson of history. He expressed his “profound grief.” He acknowledged that there were women “whose honour and dignity were severely injured.” Mr Abe also admitted that his country inflicted immeasurable damage and suffering upon innocent people.
He reiterated: “We must never again repeat the devastation of war. The Incident, aggression, war -- we shall never resort to any form of threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. We shall abandon colonial rule forever and respect the right of self-determination of all peoples throughout the world,” he declared. With “deep repentance” for the war, Japan has made that pledge, he articulated.
Mr Abe said that Japan has repeatedly expressed a feeling of “deep remorse and heartfelt apology” for its actions during the war. He also highlighted the sufferings of the people in Asia and those in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, and China, among others and mentioned that Japan has devoted itself to the peace and prosperity of the region since the end of the war. He also reaffirms that “such position articulated by the previous cabinet will remain unshakable into the future.”
Mr Abe, in his statement, also thanked the international community for making reconciliations and allowing Japan back into its fold.
He pledged that the lesson of history will continue to pass to the coming generations but added that they should not be predestined to apologise as they had nothing to do with the war.
Mr Abe continues by explaining Japan’s future policy of pursuing global peace and development and concludes: “We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan ended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon this reflection, Japan will firmly uphold basic values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights as unyielding values and, by working hand in hand with countries that share such values, hoist the flag of ‘proactive contribution to peace’ and contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world more than ever.”
As mentioned at the beginning, while China totally rejected Mr Abe’s statement as lacking sincerity and being evasive on Japan’s wartime role in China, the South Korean president, however, in her reaction, noted Mr Abe’s expression of remorse and apology, but stressed that the prime minister did not go far enough to address the “comfort women” issue.
Conclusion
During my years in Japan as ambassador, I had enjoyed unique privileges and easy access to the highest power in the country. While the subject came up in the discussion, I found a general sense of sadness at all levels over its war time history.
At the same time, I have also noted the country’s sincere eagerness in providing help and assistance to developing countries, to regain their respect in the committee of the nation. But they do find it quite unpleasant and uncomfortable to be reminded of the past repeatedly.
What has been done in the past cannot be undone now. But what needs to be done now is to make sure that past mistakes are not repeated, and that enhanced efforts are undertaken to achieve reconciliation, and that we work together for greater co-operation for the well-being of the people of the region and beyond.
In my opinion, Mr Abe has gone above and beyond to explain how and why Japan was drawn to a fateful war and, in the process, not only did it inflict enormous suffering and damage to its neighbours, but also brought immense humiliation, suffering, and destruction upon itself.
Although, according to some, the prime minister sounded vague and evasive, I found his apology sincere and remorseful. China and Korea surely have their own reasons for judging Mr Abe’s statement from their own perspective.
But what appears as important to me is that if these three countries of the Far East ie China, Japan, and Korea, each of which has achieved great economic success, somehow managed to bury their wartime hatchet and joined hands for mutual co-operation, like France, Germany, and England did, it would be a different scenario of regional, economic, and security order.
One of the thorny issues that continue to embitter Japan’s relations with China, Korea, and Taiwan is the annual visit of the Japanese prime ministers to the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, dedicated to the souls of more than 2.5 million men and women who laid down their lives for the country, including 14 “convicted A-Class war criminals.”
China, Korea, and Taiwan view such visits by the Japanese leaders to the shrine as manifestation of the revisionist attitude and an attempt by Japan to legitimise its past militarism. There is also strong domestic opposition to the visit.
In think it will serve Japan well to address the issue in a manner that assuages the sentiments of its neighbours as well as satisfies its own citizens.
It is in this context that comes to my mind the heinous crimes and atrocities the Pakistani murderous army committed upon our nation for which they have never expressed their official apologies or remorse to us. They also continue to evade their responsibility of division of wealth and past debt liability, let alone pay war reparation.
It is high time that Pakistan should muster moral, ethical, and political courage to face up to its war time actions in Bangladesh in order to achieve lasting reconciliation.