Aug 15, 2015 – Japanese Communist Party, posted on Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal – Japanese Communist Party Chairman Shii Kazuo held a press conference on August 14 at the JCP headquarters in Tokyo, issuing a statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. In the statement, he criticized Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s statement released the same day as being misleading. The full text of the JCP statement is as follows.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Communist Party of Japan extends its deepest condolences to all the victims of the war of aggression and the colonial rule of Japanese militarism.

Today, Japan stands at a historic crossroads between war and peace. Article 9 of the War Waiver of the Japanese Constitution is a treasury adopted by the Japanese people, which they have fully approved based on a reflection on the past war and the ravages of war. The JCP sincerely calls on all peace-loving people to unite to protect Article 9 and create a truly peaceful Japan in accordance with the article, beyond differences of thought, belief and political position.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s statement released today contains keywords such as “aggression”, “colonial rule”, “remorse and“ apology ”. His statement, however, avoids sharing the historical recognition of the Murayama Declaration which clearly indicated that Japan was following “an erroneous national policy” and harming the people of many countries “by its colonial domination and aggression”. Abe also avoided using the words “remorse” and “apology” as his own, simply citing statements from successive governments using the same wording. So, Abe’s statement is full of deception.

Rewrite history

It is the worst distortion in history that the Prime Minister’s statement claims that the outcome of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) “encouraged many people under colonial rule from Asia to Africa. “. In reality, Japan fought against Russia in an attempt to colonize the Korean Peninsula using coercion and armed force.

Abe’s statement, which all but rejected Murayama’s statement, will inevitably provoke harsh criticism both inside and outside the country.

At the root of this nefarious statement is the fact that the Abe administration is composed and supported by right-wing extremists who are trying to rewrite history and glorify Japan’s war of aggression.

The post-war international order was built on the common understanding that the war launched by Japan, Germany and Italy was a war of aggression. It should be strictly emphasized that anyone who denies this fundamental recognition is not qualified to engage in world politics.

The JCP strongly hopes that this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, will be an important step towards achieving “reconciliation and friendship” between Japan and other Asian countries.

To achieve this, the JCP calls for the following five basic policies that the government of Japan should adopt.

First, it should fully endorse the gist of the Murayama Declaration and the Kono Declaration. He must take action in accordance with the spirit of these statements and decisively refute any claims against them.

Second, the government of Japan should strive to resolve the issue regarding Japan’s wartime “comfort women” military system by offering apologies and compensation to the victims so that they can regain their human dignity.

Third, an official rule requiring at least the prime minister and all cabinet ministers to refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine should be established, as visits by domestic decision makers to the shrine are tantamount to declaring Japan’s past war a just war. .

Fourth, to eradicate hate speech campaigns that encourage ethnic discrimination, the government of Japan should take a strong stand, including legislating against such actions.

Fifth, the government of Japan should make sincere and serious efforts to reflect in textbooks the heart and soul of the Murayama Declaration and the Kono Declaration expressing deep remorse for Japan’s past mistakes.

Mutual trust will be the foundation for building peace and stability in Northeast Asia. To gain the trust of neighboring countries, Japan must confront its past history on the basis of established facts, sincerely and sincerely admit its mistakes and learn from the past for a better future. We are convinced that only in this way can Japan gain confidence in Northeast Asia.

Communist Party

As the only political party that has opposed the war of aggression and the colonial rule of Japan at the risk of the lives of its members, the JCP will do everything possible to stop the backflow that distorts historical facts and to bring about “reconciliation and friendship” between Japan and other Asian countries.

During the 70 years since the end of World War II, Japan has not directly engaged in war with other nations. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) have not killed anyone from any country and no member of the SDF has been killed in war for over half a century.

Japan’s course as a peaceful nation has been ensured by the existence of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and by the strong voices and tenacious efforts of the Japanese public in search of peace. Bound by pacifist forces, successive cabinets have had to come up with constitutional interpretations that refuse to consider the SDF as a military force and that prohibit Japan from using armed force abroad and the right to collective self-defense.

The Abe administration is trying to end Japan’s 70-year history as a peaceful nation, totally deny the interpretation of the constitution by successive governments, push forward war bills, and transform the Japan as a nation fighting wars abroad with the United States. However, to protest this outrageous decision to destroy the constitution, more and more people are raising their voices and rising up on an unprecedented scale. The power of the ongoing public movements is unprecedented in terms of breadth and depth. It shows how the enthusiasm of the Japanese people for peace and democracy, which was created during the 70 years of post-war history, actually is.

It is unforgivable to go back to an aggressive Japan whose inhabitants “kill other people or are ready to be killed abroad”.

The JCP will work hard to further disseminate the common struggles inside and outside the Diet [parliament] on the sole task of “blocking the war bills”, surrounding the Abe government with overwhelming public opposition and killing the bills.

The JCP proposed the “Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative” with the aim of establishing peace and stability in the region. The party has continued to dialogue with the countries concerned to achieve this goal. The JCP believes that this plan to protect Japan’s security peacefully is the only viable counter-proposal to the Abe government’s war bills. In order to carry out this plan, the JCP will make full use of its brain and strength.