Letter to TODAY newspaper and Tough Friday

War stories tend to be personal and emotional understandably as shown in “Sorry’s not enough” of August 17 and two more letters two days later, and also can be one-sided unfortunately. As a letter by Mr (Ms??) Sharmini Rajgopal, published on August 18, rightly pointed out, all wars are cruel and senseless. I, too, may be emotional here, but let met try to be fair.

Unlike Germany, Japan has not sufficiently atoned for its actions during the war time. It is a point that has been oft-used. However, unlike the Third Reich, no Japanese Government had a national policy to exterminate a whole people. Unlike the Third Reich, there was no dictator like Hitler.

After more than 60 years since the end of the war, I believe that many in Japan are feeling, “we have said ‘sorry’ enough times’.” At many occasions, the Japanese Government and the Emperor have acknowledged that Japan’s actions caused great suffering to many people in Asia and very respectfully apologized. There are people in Japan who suspect that never-ending protests by Korea and China are made for exploiting Japan’s guilt feeling for their own domestic purposes, which I am afraid, can be very counterproductive. (The People’s Republic of China is not a party of the 1951 San Francisco Treaty that gave Japan independence, thus bringing it to the world community again.)

Prime Minister Koizumi’s recent visit to Yasukuni Shrine once again focused people’s attention on the “A-class” war criminals executed as a result of the Tokyo Tribunal and honoured at the shrine. (A Singapore TV station calls the shrine “Yasukuni war shrine” when “yasukuni” means “ruling the country peacefully”.) I must admit that I have never read a history textbook used at Singapore schools. Given the fact that not many Japanese have much knowledge about the tribunal now, however, it is not surprising at all if few Singaporeans know what it was and how those “war criminals” were convicted by retroactive statutes, with evidences submitted by defendants’ layers rejected. Under Japanese law, there is no person judged a war criminal.

It is widely accepted among historians, not only in Japan, that the Tokyo Tribunal was a pure political theater, at the start of the Cold War, intended to punish a defeated country. And during the occupation period by the General Headquarters (GHQ) of General Douglas MacArthur, it is little known the media in Japan were strictly controlled and censored. No criticism of GHQ’s policy was allowed, stifling free political and social discussion among the Japanese. The current “pacifist” constitution was adapted under such a condition. This is the foundation of the opinion held by those who would like to create a new constitution that reflects the free will of the people. I think they have a point here.

It is rather easy to perpetually criticise a country that was defeated in a war especially when many think that the country committed unspeakable atrocities, violating international law. As for violation of international law, people should ask if anyone has been punished for the nuclear bombings that killed more than 200,000 innocent civilians. No one has. Is it because the bombs were dropped by the ultimate victor? Or how about the Soviet Union that unilaterally broke the nonaggression pact with Japan and declared war on it in the last days of the war?

If anybody remembers, Japan’s reluctance since the second world war to deploy its “Self Defense Forces” overseas and its agony over how it could contribute to world peace were clearly demonstrated during the first Gulf War. After the war, the Kuwait Government published a one-page ad in major newspapers and magazines, thanking for the coalition forces that pushed back the Iraqi forces from its territory. Japan’s name was not found in the ad even though it was the biggest financier of the coalition’s operations. It certainly saddened me and shows how “arms shy” Japan has been since World War II.

木曜日の夜からずっと起きていて、金曜日の朝９時ごろ、MOM に行くため外出。乗るバスがわからず、運転手に確認してから乗車したが、別のバスに乗れと言われ、次の停留所で降りる。MOM の最寄停留所がわからず、手前で降りてしまう。バスをあきらめてMRT に乗る。MOM で１時間ほど待つ。順番が来ると、「移民局に行け」と冷たい言葉。

移民局で、滞在延長が２階で扱われていることを確認。エスカレーターで２階に上がったにもかかわらず、どういうわけかそこから２階に上がるエスカレーターを探す。脳が機能していない。「保証人」が必要なことを知る。そう言えば、以前にもそんなことがあった。会社に電話してIRAS に直接行って未払いの所得税を支払えば、出国できることをきく。最初からIRAS に行けばよかった。Lavender からMRT に乗ると、“Next stop, Kallang” と車内アナウンス。逆方向に乗ってしまった。引き返す。

CH からタクシーに乗って、先にクリニックに薬をもらいに行く。そのあとIRAS で未払い額をきいて、となりの郵便局で支払う。預金残高が一気に減って愕然とする。

いったん帰宅しようかとも考えたが、幸いパスポートをもっていたし、JB では特に用もないので、そのままKranji に行ってバスで越境した。シンガポールに戻ったのは午後９時ごろだったか。まっすぐ帰ればいいのにCC に寄る。最後はNS で食事。帰ったのは朝５時すぎだった。これで終わらず、左レンズを洗面台の前で落としてしまい、見つけるのに１時間ほどかかった。まったく疲れた１日だった。土曜日は出掛けず、ずっと眠っていた。