Japan's belated apology

Even if it fails to satisfy many, at least the proposed apology, expected to be adopted by the Japanese parliament this week, or early next week, is the first statement ever to express anything close to an official apology for Japan's much condemned part in World War II. As a token in commemoration of the end of that war, such an apology would certainly be a most appropriate act to formally and finally end that chapter in Japanese history.

Japan's apology, when it is adopted, will come close on the heels of commemorations held not long ago to mark the anniversary of the war's end in Europe. It may be interesting in this context to note that, in Europe, nothing comparable to the protracted hatred and ill-feelings that exist against Japan in Asia, appear to remain all of these years' after the war's end. Why?

Certainly, the role which Germany played in Europe during the war was not any better than that which Japan played in Asia. If anything, it was perhaps even worse. So, why the different feelings?

To many of us in Asia, it seems that in Europe, Germany simply lost the war. The country was occupied by the Allies and the German leaders who were held responsible for war crimes were tried and condemned in special tribunals. To this day the hunt for Nazi war criminals in hiding continues, but as far as the German state and government and the people as a whole are concerned, the war is over and buried in the past, even though as a consequence of the occupation, the German state was divided until fairly recently.

Some resentment may be left in countries occupied by Germany during the war. But the kind of deep-rooted ill will that many Asians still feel towards Japan seems to be absent in Europe.

Things did not go quite the same in Asia as they did in Europe. A few Japanese leaders were tried and condemned. Some committed suicide. The main difference is that new reports of Japanese war crimes and atrocities continue to crop up now and then. Thus, resentment continues to smolder in countries such as China and Korea against the brutality inflicted on them by the Japanese occupying forces.

Apart from issuing some ineffective statements of regret, the Japanese government has so far refused to admit and formally apologize for all those crimes. And what is more, it has persistently tried to conceal or soften the real facts by glossing over the darker sides of the country's wartime history. Indeed, quite a number of Japanese still seem in all sincerity to believe that Japan did Asians a favor by occupying their countries and preparing them for independence.

Thus one might say that the adoption of the apology by the Japanese parliament is, in terms of the Japanese official disposition, quite a daring step. And it is not an easy one to take.

Hardcore conservatives in the ruling coalition are expected to boycott the resolution. Bickering over the wording of the resolution threatened the alliance with a breakup and the holding of snap elections at one point.

Given all of this, it is not surprising, as observers point out, that because of its wording the proposed parliamentary resolution is no straightforward apology, but rather an act of atonement implying an apology. Nevertheless, this seems to be the best one can hope for at present. We believe that only the future will show how sincerely regret is felt by the Japanese.