Japan's refusal to genuinely apologize for war crimes draws criticisms

The refusal of Japan to express sincere and genuine apology for the atrocities that it has committed during the Second World War has drawn criticisms, particularly in the wake of the passage of security bills in Tokyo. [Photo/Xinhua]

The refusal of Japan to express sincere and genuine apology for the atrocities that it has committed during the Second World War has drawn criticisms, particularly in the wake of the passage of security bills in Tokyo that would discard Japan's pacifist constitution.

In an interview with Xinhua, Jose Cortez, a respected political analyst, said that 70 years after the end of the Pacific War, Japan has not fully and unequivocably atoned for its war crimes and brutalities during its invasion and occupation of Asian countries, including the Philippines.

Cortez, who is a consultant of the Media and Communication Research Center (MCRC) of the Universidad de Manila (University of Manila), said that instead of apologizing, Japan is now embarking on a new form of adventurism by shedding off its military's purely self-defense character and expanding it for possible deployment abroad.

On Thursday last week, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was able to ram through the powerful lower house of the Japanese Diet some controversial bills that opponents say will undermine 70 years of pacifism and could see Japanese troops fighting abroad for the first time since World War II.

According to Cortez, Japan's security measures would threaten the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and would prevent full reconciliation between Japan and its neighbors.

Cortez also cautioned the Philippine government into signing with Japan a visiting forces agreement (VFA) that would allow the stationing of Japanese military forces in the Philippines for joint military exercises similar to the recent joint Japan- Philippines maritime drill held off the seas of Palawan in southwestern Philippines.

He said that what the Philippines should do instead is to scrap the VFA that it signed with the United States so that "the country' s sovereignty and territorial integrity can fully be safeguarded".

A petition has been filed at the Philippine Supreme Court calling for a halt to Philippine-Japan military cooperation. At the lower house of the Philippine Congress, there are also moves to investigate the Tokyo-Manila military alliance which has been done through a mere protocol signed by defense ministers of the two countries and without a formal agreement ratified by the Philippine Senate.