Japan's Prime Minister Does not Need to Say Sorry for Its Past

Just very recently, there are calls in South Korea for Japan''s Prime Minister to apologize for questioning whether women were forced to become sex slaves by Japan''s army during World War II. Japan''s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been quoted as saying there was no evidence that women were coerced into serving Japan''s military as prostitutes during World War II.

Just very recently, there are calls in South Korea for Japan''s Prime Minister to apologize for questioning whether women were forced to become sex slaves by Japan''s army during World War II. Japan''s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been quoted as saying there was no evidence that women were coerced into serving Japan''s military as prostitutes during World War II. A group of South Korean MPs has described Mr. Abe''s reported comments as "outrageous" and is calling on him to apologize. Should the current Japan''s Prime Minister say sorry?

No! The current Japan''s Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as "JPM") did not commit such the aforesaid atrocity, only his ancestors did. Referring to legal theory, fine or punishment is only subject to those commit the action against the law; JPM did not commit the atrocity, so the answer is short and precise: No!

No! Should JPM need to say sorry, then the President of the United States of America, Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany, President of Italian Republic, the President of Socialist Republic of Vietnam and most other leaders of East and Western European countries all need to say sorry. All of these countries have, to some extent, committed inhuman acts to their enemies or even their fellow citizens. So it would not be fair for JPM for resorting to say sorry to the world alone. Moreover apology form JPM will not do any good for this world.

After the Word War II, the world has come to be under the scope of what we call "Structuralism", which means human behaviors and freedom shall be controlled by various structure (legal institution.), for instance the United Nations Organization ? UNO; International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, Asian Human Rights Commission, etc. The point that I raise about structuralism, because I want to state that the world before the WWII, was not obvious; the vagueness of international law, the absence of world''s political organization like the United Nations and other governmental, regional organizations. It would be great and more collectively prosperous, should we forgive each other for the mistaken commission before or during WWII and focus on the present.

(All social aspects are important, but just some social aspects are more important than others - Vicheka Lay ? August 16, 2007)

Vicheka Lay is the Translator and Legal Information Officer for DFDL Mekong Law Group, Freelance Translator for Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong, and LL.M Candidate. He is also a member of the Legal Writing Institute, a legal analysis institution, based in Mercer University, the United States of America.

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