Japan to pass retrogressive bill on postwar 60th anniversary

Japan's ruling and opposition parties plan to pass a resolution bill on postwar 60th anniversary before Aug. 15, with a big retroversion on history issues compared with the postwar 50th anniversary bill, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, the "Resolution of Vowing to Contribute to International Peace at 60th Anniversary of UN Establishment, End of World War II and US Atomic-Bombing on Japan" mourns for all war dead and expresses deep remorse for Japan's past doings that caused tremendous sufferings to the people of Asian nations.

The new bill only puts an emphasis on Japan's damages from US atomic bombing while excluding the primary content about Japan's colonial rule over and aggression against its neighboring countries, the report indicated, referring to the postwar 50th anniversary bill based on the "Murayama Statement" in the point of historical issues.

On Aug. 15, 1995, former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said in a statement marking the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII that Japan, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and sufferings to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations.

The postwar 60th bill was jointly drafted by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.

Source: Xinhua