Abe has no choice but to honor past wartime apology--former Japanese PM

[bananas]

Source: Xinhua

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, known for his apology for past wartime atrocities while in office, said Wednesday that Shinzo Abe, incumbent prime minister, has no choice but to honor the Murayama Statement.

"All previous prime ministers of Japan said that they inherit the Murayama Statement. Abe also stated once that he inherits the statement. I believe there has been no falsehood in that pledge," Murayama said during his lecture to South Korean lawmakers at the parliamentary headquarters.

Murayama came here Tuesday for a three-day visit to Seoul at the invitation of South Korea's minor opposition Justice Party. Murayama made an official apology via the famous "Murayama Statement" in 1995, when he was in office, for Japan's past atrocities and war of aggression during its colonial rule of Asian nations.

<snip>

He became the first among incumbent and former Japanese prime ministers who meet with the victims of the sex slavery.

"When I met the comfort women of old age and saw the pictures drawn by them, I became speechless. I hung my head down, and could not raise it up," said Murayama. &quot Japan) did the indescribable wrongdoings, which robs women of their dignity."

Murayama said that some people in Japan made many absurd remarks about the comfort women issue, which he felt ashamed of, noting that a majority of Japanese were well aware of Japan's wrongdoings. He added that he hopes the South Korean people can understand it.

<snip>

Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-02/12/c_133109120.htm

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

1. There's...a PROBLEM with this???

[kristopher]

2. Well, there's a problem with Abe and a resurgent hard-right wing in Japan

Not sure what "this" in your comment referred to but if you haven't been following events there I can see how it might seem a strange article.

[Scairp]

3. So how long has the current guy been PM?

And has he said anything to disavow this true statement and apology?

[Art_from_Ark]

4. This is his second stint as prime minister

His current government (or what they call "cabinet" here in Japan) started on December 26, 2012. He recently made a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, along with more than 100 members of his ruling party, which angered China and Korea because Yasukuni enshrines some Japanese war criminals.