Lawmakers discuss new memorial to war dead Nov 9, 2005, 11:45 GMT
TOKYO, Japan (UPI) -- Japanese lawmakers have discussed the building of a secular memorial to Japan`s war dead to avoid dispute over the prime minister`s visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
About 100 lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the New Komeito party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan attended the first meeting Wednesday morning in Tokyo and discussed the necessity of a secular facility to replace Tokyo`s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 2.5 million war dead including war criminals, the Kyodo News reported Wednesday.
Taku Yamasaki, a former LDP vice president who has been named chairman of the group, said, 'How best can we pay tribute to the war dead without any hesitation? We would like to make proposals on a new facility.'
'The Democratic Party of Japan has also been interested in this issue for three to four years. We would like to engage in active discussions,' said Yukio Hatoyama, the party`s secretary general.
The move came after South Korea`s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young argued Japan should build a new war memorial, in accordance with a bilateral agreement reached in October at a meeting with Yamasaki. In response to the meeting, Yamasaki arranged to launch this group.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
dragg
good idea.
but huantangbuhuanyao.
sgdiehard
Originally posted by dragg:
good idea.
but huantangbuhuanyao.
its a positive start and hope it moves on, in the meantime lets see hululimaishemeyao?
Salman
Great idea! The Japs have the need to respect their war dead too. Perhaps this will take out the sting. Not all the Jap soldiers were Shinto believers anyway.