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| Southeast Asia |
| Japan not WWII aggressor, says air force chief |
| 2008-10-31 |
| Japan's air force chief has released an essay saying that the nation was not the aggressor in World War II, in comments likely to anger Asian neighbours. The essay was authored by General Toshio Tamogami, chief of staff of Japan's Air Self-Defence Force, and won the top award in an inaugural contest aimed at describing "true views of modern history." "Even now, there are many people who think that our country's 'aggression' caused unbearable suffering to the countries of Asia during the Greater East Asia War," said the English-language version of the essay. "But we need to realise that many Asian countries take a positive view of the Greater East Asia War," it said. "In Thailand, Burma, India, Singapore, and Indonesia, the Japan that fought the Greater East Asia War is held in high esteem," it said. "It is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation." The Greater East Asia War was a term used by Japan to describe the conflict in the Asia-Pacific theatre, emphasising that it involved Asian nations seeking independence from the Western powers. The essay, entitled "Was Japan an Aggressor Nation?," was posted on the website of a Japanese hotel chain which organised the contest. Mr Tamogami argued that Japan was drawn into World War II by then US president Franklin D Roosevelt, whom he said was being manipulated by the Comintern. Mr Tamogami also rejected the verdicts of an Allied tribunal which convicted Japanese wartime leaders as war criminals after Tokyo's defeat in 1945. The thesis also runs counter to a 1995 statement issued by then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama and endorsed by his successors, which apologised for Japan's past aggression and colonial rule in Asia. The statement acknowledged that Japan, through its colonial rule and aggression, "caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations." But there has been a persistent nationalistic argument in Japan that the Murayama statement was part of the country's "masochism" aimed at accommodating Asian neighbours. Japan renounced the right to wage war after World War II and calls its de facto military the Self-Defence Forces. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
| #5 ION JAPAN > WORLD MIL FORUM - JAPAN APPLIES TO UNITED NATIONS TO EXPAND CONTINENTAL SHELF? China encroachment? as iff approved Japan's move will likely have effect on both Japanese and Chin econ development efforts. ALso from SAME > FAS EXPERT: CHINESE ANTI-SHIPPING BALISTIC MISSLES MAY CARPET-BOMB US AIRCRAFT CARRIERS FOR REGIONAL ANTI-INTERVENTION [long-distance Point Saturation/Massed MisStrike], + GERMANY: CHINA'S SUSTAINED ECONOMIC ABILITY WILL DETERMINE FUTURE OF HAMBURG CITY [Hong Kong, China's largest trading partner = "sister city"]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-10-31 21:30 |
| #4 I don't care about the "apologies" which often arise in these discussions, and the "masochism" comments rings very true as well, but simple truth is a standard which must be met, or "acknowledged" if you will, and for a Japanese airmen to disassociate the empire from aggression pretty clearly misses the historical record. All the excuses and provocations and anti-colonial analysis is well and good, but for a country which arguably pioneered the development of long range air attack tactics to deny their "aggressor" nature is an assertion too far. |
| Posted by: Don Vito Omeling5062 2008-10-31 20:40 |
| #3 I don't care about the "apologies" which often arise in these discussions, and the "masochism" comments rings very true as well, but simple truth is a standard which must be met, or "acknowledged" if you will, and for a Japanese airmen to disassociate the empire from aggression pretty clearly misses the historical record. All the excuses and provocations and anti-colonial analysis is well and good, but for a country which arguably pioneered the development of long range air attack tactics to deny their "aggressor" nature is an assertion too far. |
| Posted by: Don Vito Omeling5062 2008-10-31 20:39 |
| #2 (there is a term for this type of advertising, its along the lines of astroturfing but I forget the proper name of it; something like moling? Anyone?) |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-10-31 17:20 |
| #1 Actually ran across a guy in the local bar who was dribbling something like this. Well dressed, liked to share very personal opinions with complete strangers in a strange land - obama supporter, this was back when obama was making headway against clinton but clinton hadn't broke into tears yet. Went on and on about how the US was the aggressor by denying the Phillipines' resources to the Japanese. So I let him talk on and on. After I finished my beer asked him, "So what about the Japanese army already in China at the time." Didn't matter. "So the Japanese attacking the German fleet in WWI wasn't the beginning of Japanese military expansionism as policy?" They did, didn't know that. "When did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor." Didn't know. "Rape of Nankieng?" Didn't happen, so on and so on. Left fairly soon afterwards, especially when the bartender was openly laughing at his answers. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-10-31 17:19 |