Author of Japan's 1995 apology opposes change

February 27, 2014 05:02 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 06:53 am IST - TOKYO

Former comfort women from South Korea who were forced to serve for the Japanese Army as sexual slaves during World War II shout slogans during a rally against Japan in Seoul, South Korea, on May 29, 2013.

Former comfort women from South Korea who were forced to serve for the Japanese Army as sexual slaves during World War II shout slogans during a rally against Japan in Seoul, South Korea, on May 29, 2013.

Japan’s former prime minister says the landmark 1995 war apology carrying his name is an international pledge that Japan must not change.

Tomiichi Murayama said Tuesday that Japan should also keep another apology for forced prostitution before and during World War II, urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stand by both statements amid speculation that he and other conservative lawmakers want to revise them.

Mr. Abe wants to issue a fresh statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II next year. He has angered China and South Korea over his remark that there is no clear definition of aggression, though he later promised to stand by the 1995 apology.

Mr. Abe’s visit to Tokyo’s war shrine in December has escalated tension with Japan’s neighbours.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.