Originally posted by Rob Chen:
why waste time doing this,
regardless what we do, [b]it is not necessary because CHINA is perm seat member and have the ultimate power to veto Japan out - regardless how many nations support Jap's intention or how many people worldwide wishes that to be....
so my advise to Japan is - recognize historical fact, fully apologize to CHINA and other East, SE Asia and Pacific neighbours for WW2 crimes and CHINA will forgive u .....
then no problem to get perm seat and everyone is happy cause Jap indeed could contribute a lot to world as perm seat member[/b]
X2.
Whether Japan wants to apologise to China and Korea or not, it depends entirely whether they can swallow their pride.
But recognising the history and the atrocities they committed during WW2 cannot be denied. The correct history should remind the younger generation of Japanese of what were done during the WW2 that resulted in the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagashaki, and never to do it again.
Singapore was only occupied for 2 and a half years and only over 50,000 killed, it is easy to say life goes on. It is difficult to find any family here whose parents or relatives killed during WW2, and if we do, it will be easy to tell your friends that YOUR parents were killed by the Japanese to liberate us from the rule of British Imperialism, according to Japanese new text book. But millions of Chinese died during the 8 years of war with Japan and millions of Koreans killed during the 35 years of Japanese occupation, the older generation are reminded of the sufferings and the younger generation of both Chinese and Koreans are angry at knowing the truth. It is difficult to say life goes on.
Afterall, singaporeans are all "educated" to accept whatever happen outside singapore, we are numb and leave it to the government even if the events affect us adversely. This event involved Japan, Korea and China, too far away, we go there only if we want to do business!!
Unlike Japan, the German came face to face with their mistakes, apologied to their neighbours . Because of their apologies and recognition of their mistakes, they are well accepted by their neighbors whom they occupied and whose citizens killed by them in millions, in EU and in the international community as well. isn't there something the Jap should learn??
I am not sure what they can contribute when they get their perm seat in the UN, but if Japan do not feel remorse about the crimes they committed in the international society and expect the world to just forget it with time passing, Japan do not have the moral credibility in the international community.