Japan Press Weekly

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2013 October 30 - November 5 [POLITICS]

Ex-US senior officials concerned over PM Abe’s hawkish stance

Former U.S. government senior officials have been concerned with the fact that Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo aims to revise the “Kono Statement” which admitted to the state’s responsibility for the wartime sex slavery (comfort women) system and apologized to the victims, and the fact that Abe cabinet members repeatedly visit the Yasukuni Shrine glorifying Japan’s war of aggression.

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Lee Armitage and ex-Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Samuel Nye gave addresses at a symposium in Tokyo on October 29.

Nye noted that a good point of the Kono Statement is that it clearly settled a contentious historical issue. If Japan now nullifies the statement, it will damage Japan itself, he said.

He also pointed out that Japanese cabinet members’ visits to the Yasukuni Shrine not only give a great shock to neighboring countries but also cause a negative effect on the United States alliance with Japan.

Armitage stressed that Japan’s prime minister represents all the people and not just those who supported him and his party in elections. He underlined the need for the government and Japanese politicians to find an alternative way to pay tribute for the war dead.


Past related articles:
> Abe cabinet members visit Yasukuni Shrine [August 16, 2013]
> Shii criticizes Abe’s intent to withdraw state apology for ‘comfort women’ issue [February 1, 2013]