Interview: Japan's Murayama closely watches Abe's choice of words on WWII anniversary statement

As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is racking his brains about the wording of his statement for the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII this summer, the country's former leader Tomiichi Murayama, among all others, is closely watching the tone of the statement, which will be considered the Abe administration's official position on Japan's responsibility for its war history.

Murayama, who offered an apology for Japan's past war atrocities in 1995 in his capacity as prime minister, said the statement that Japan needs at this year's war anniversary should continue to follow the commitment the country made 20 years ago in a cabinet resolution dubbed the 'Murayama Statement.'

The 1995 statement said that Japan "must look into the past to learn from the lessons of history" and admitted that Japan followed "a mistaken national policy... through its colonial rule and aggression," causing "tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries."

In the statement, the then prime minister said that the mistakes will not be made in the future and based on "these irrefutable facts of history" while expressing his "feelings of deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology."

"Each cabinet after Murayama's said they inherit the statement. Such a stance has been Japan's commitment to the world. If Abe strips the spirit of the Murayama Statement, the result would be unconscionable -- Japan will lose the trust of the international community and be isolated," the former prime minister told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

The 91-year-old continued to say that "if it is the case, Japan 's relations with China and South Korea will be strongly affected. As for the two neighboring countries, offering an apology is not the whole story, of more importance is how Japan reflect on its wartime history. Reflection is the key word of the Murayama Statement."

It's not just a question of how many apologies offered by Japan would make the victim countries of Japan's wartime atrocities forgive it, said Murayama, explaining that "reflection on its past closely relates to the pacifist road Japan follows now. Superficial calls for peace, without reflection, will raise concerns as to whether Japan will repeat its past mistakes."

Abe, a known historical revisionist, said he will issue a new statement focusing on Japan's future contribution to world peace, but maintained an ambiguous attitude toward the key wordings of " colonial rule" and "aggression" -- key wording used in the past statements.

"Rather than whether or not to use the wording we have repeated in the past, I want to issue a statement reflecting how my government views the matter," Abe said in a TV program early this year, hinting he would change the wording in his version.

"What Abe wants to do in his new statement is to dilute the meaning of the crucial words 'colonial rule,' 'aggression' and ' apology' and merely emphasize the pacifist road pursued by Japan. This is Abe's doctrine. But one can not clearly recognize the present and the future if he closes his eyes to the past," said Murayama.

"It is fine to have different expressions regarding perceptions of history, but the core of the Murayama Statement, the reflection on history, should never be changed," said the socialist prime minister, adding "I have no idea that there are other words that could ever replace 'aggression' and 'colonial rule.'"

The veteran statesman also questioned Abe's move to launch a 16- member panel that would give Abe advise on drafting the new statement, criticizing the fact that the prime minister is avoiding parliamentary debate on the issue, so as to hide his true intentions.

It is unusual for a socialist to become Japanese prime minister, Murayama recalled, adding that his visits to China, South Korea and some Southeastern Asian countries nurtured the birth of the Murayama Statement that has been welcomed by Japan's neighboring countries.

"My visits to China, South Korea and other countries that suffered from Japan's wartime atrocities were not to offer an apology, but aimed at trying to regain trust from the countries for Japan," said Murayama. Endi