WW2-ANNIVERSARY/JAPAN-MURAYAMA Former Japan PM becomes face of opposition against security bills

Record ID: 144242

  • Title: WW2-ANNIVERSARY/JAPAN-MURAYAMA Former Japan PM becomes face of opposition against security bills
  • Date: 12th August 2015
  • Summary: FUNABASHI, JAPAN (FILE - JANUARY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF JAPANESE MILITARY TRAINING GOTEMBA, JAPAN (FILE - AUGUST 19, 2014) (REUTERS) MORE OF DRILLS AT SEA (FILE - OCTOBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) NAVY PARADE OFF BAY OF SAGAMI
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE0FSFW9F26JD0HQ0PVDWNVPDT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    EDITORS ALSO NOTE, PLEASE REFER TO 0079-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/FILE-PART TWO SENT ON AUGUST 9 FOR FILE MATERIAL
    Former prime minister, Tomiichi Murayama, known for his landmark apology to Asian nations over Japan's wartime past, has come out of retirement to be the face of mounting opposition to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's security bills which if adopted, will allow Japan to expand its military abilities abroad such as fighting or defending a friendly country like the United States.
    At 91 years old, the former prime minister has not let his age prevent him from joining rallies protests that have been sparked by the controversial bills which might see Japan go to war for the first time since World War Two.
    Murayama, a socialist, was head of an unwieldy coalition with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) when he made the "heartfelt apology" for the wartime damage and suffering caused by Japan - that had been since called the "Murayama statement".
    "I regard, in the spirit of humility, these irrefutable facts of history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology," Murayama told the world in 1995.
    Abe, then a rookie LDP lawmaker, was one of those who opposed the move.
    Now premier for a second time, Abe's conservative agenda includes adopting a less apologetic tone towards the past and revising the post-war, pacifist constitution which Murayama said would lead Japan back to war.
    "People are saying they don't know what's going to happen next. But if we keep flexing our muscles, a war will eventually break out. History has taught us that. We need to prevent this from happening," Murayama, who was in office from June 1994 to January 1996, told reporters at a news conference last month.
    Murayama said the unpopularity of the legislation has served as a catalyst for people to rethink the meaning of World War Two, and has raised significant political awareness among the younger generation in Japan, who are generally said to be apathetic.
    The older generation in Japan, especially those who have experienced the war, generally have a harder time accepting the bills.
    "I think most people my age (who have experienced war) aren't supportive of the bill, because it will bring us one step closer to war," said Shigeru Suzuki, a 73-year-old park attendant.
    According to the latest opinion polls by NHK Public TV, 64 percent of those polled were either against the bills or did not think highly of them.
    "I feel that Japan will begin to lose the integrity it has built up so far and end up becoming isolated as a nation," said 20-year old Shibuya Haruka, a college student.
    Others said the bills were necessary as Japan must protect itself in a changing security environment.
    Yuzuru Okubo, a 55-year-old office worker, said that with the threat of a war and terror on the rise, the bills were a necessary step to protect Japan.
    "I think the security bill is necessary since we are facing these changes, however, it should be applied cautiously," Okubo said.
    "I think the process used is wrong, but in order for Japan to maintain its influence and existence in this current global situation there is no other choice," said 19-year-old student Taiki Morita.
    The ongoing parliamentary debates broadcasted on national television have Abe regularly stressing the importance of Japan and the U.S. staying on par with North Korea's nuclear missile abilities, and to be able to fend off other threats such as a rising China.
    "With all the changes occurring, we decided the use of collective self-defence is permissible as long as it meets the three criteria, and it is also necessary in order to fulfill the government's responsibility to its protect citizens," Abe told the parliament earlier last month.
    The three criteria encompass situations where lives of Japanese citizens face imminent danger, or if the citizen's right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is being threatened. However, these situations remain blurry and undefined.
    Japan's military, known as the Self-Defence Forces, though currently banned from participating in armed conflicts overseas, has grown bigger than that of Britain.
    The bills were pushed through the lower house on July 15, despite protests and risks of further damage to Abe's sagging ratings and are now under the consideration of Parliament. If no vote is taken, the bills will be returned to the lower house, where Abe's coalition can enact them with a two-thirds majority.
    According to the same NHK polls Abe's popularity ratings have dropped to 37%, also due to voter doubts about other policies such as a plan to restart nuclear reactors.
    Abe, who is expected to give his own statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two this week, has said he will uphold past statements about the war, including Murayama's 1995 landmark "heartfelt apology" for Japan's aggression and colonialism. But his previous remarks and stated desire to look to the future have raised concerns he wants to water down those apologies.
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