Japan's irreverence

Japan's irreverence

A senior ASEAN official recounted that during a reception that
brought together the 10 member states of the regional
organization and dialog partners from East Asia, the Chinese
foreign minister remarked to his Japanese counterpart that they
should learn from Germany. The Japanese foreign minister replied
that they had, to which the Chinese foreign minister promptly
remarked: "You should learn more!"

Unlike Germany, Japan has sadly not come to terms with its
past imperialist transgressions. Nor does it seem to be trying
to.

There can be no doubt that over the last 50 years Japan has
shown itself to be one of the most benevolent nations in the
world. It has been a true friend to Indonesia and Southeast Asia,
supporting the country and the region in all aspects of their
development.

We do not consider Tokyo's economic generosity over the last
five decades as the wages of its past military sins, but rather
as an act of mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of
a common region.

Indonesians are not a vindictive lot. The country has not
wallowed in the saga of Dutch colonialism, nor has it found it
necessary to recount the distresses of Japanese occupation. What
is done is done.

To that effect, we have overlooked certain national
indiscretions by successive Japanese governments, including those
of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in satisfying Japan's
growing nationalist sentiment and in its treatment of history.
However, we feel Koizumi's latest visit to the Yasukuni war
shrine was a thoughtless insult to all Asians who suffered under
Japanese imperialism.

Koizumi's visit was not merely a political faux pas, nor
something Tokyo can simply brush off as a domestic issue. It was
a calculated move following the prime minister's reelection. Most
disturbing, it was Koizumi's fifth visit to the shrine since
taking office in 2001.

Initially built in the late 19th century to honor victims of a
civil war, the shrine has since come to honor millions of
Japanese war dead, including 14 "Class A" war criminals from
World War II.

The prime minister's actions have damaged prospects for
sincere cooperation in the region, which is about to undertake a
monumental leap with the East Asia Summit later this year.

The response of Japan's closest neighbors has been one of
indignation, and rightly so. China's ambassador to Japan, Wang
Yi, described the visit as "a serious provocation", while South
Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon called it "the biggest
stumbling block to South Korea-Japan relations".

Koizumi was apparently cognizant of the controversy his visit
would stir, particularly since an Osaka court ruled just weeks
earlier that such visits violated the constitution, which calls
for a strict separation of religion and state. According to
reports, the prime minister did not don traditional robes as he
did in past visits, instead wearing a business suit. Nor did he
enter the main hall of the shrine as he did in previous visits.

All this does not lessen Asia's increasing anxiety over a
growing strain of Japanese ultranationalism that refuses to
concede the sins of its forefathers. We do not hold the present
generation accountable for the past, but we do expect them to
recognize and learn from history. This, however, will not be
possible if Japan continues to downplay its culpability in World
War II.

This continued failure to recognize its past will impede Japan
from assuming a greater role in international affairs, including
its desire to secure a seat on the UN Security Council.

The most valuable quality a person or country can possess --
trust -- cannot be bought by grants, charity or investment. All
that is really required is for Japan to show a degree of goodwill
and acknowledge history.