Japan refuses to amend history books as China, Korea protest
TOKYO, April 4 (AFP) -
Japan insisted Wednesday it would make no further changes to a school history textbook despite renewed strong condemnation from neighbouring Asian countries for glossing over wartime atrocities.
"We made a decision about the history textbook yesterday. The decision is a decision. The government has no plans to change that," said Toru Funato, an official for the education ministry's textbook division.
"The book is the final version," the official said.
On Tuesday, the government approved the controversial textbook that credits Japan's wartime occupation of Southeast Asia with speeding up the region's independence from European colonial masters after World War II. It also describes Japan's annexation of the Korean peninsula as "necessary."
The book, intended for pupils aged 16 to 18, also skims over the 1937 Nanjing Massacre -- in which historians say at least 300,000 civilians were slaughtered -- as an "incident" that saw "many" Chinese killed.
It was written by a group of avowedly nationalistic historians, known as the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, who claim existing texts are too "masochistic" in acknowledging Japan's wrongdoings in modern times.
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said he would not get involved in the issue.
"The foreign ministry will never interfere in such cases because boards of education authorize the use of textbooks in public schools and principals have that right in private schools," he told a lower house foreign affairs committee session.
Referring to outrage from China and South Korea over the textbook, Kono said Tokyo would attempt to explain its stance to them "as much as possible" to maintain good relations with the two.
Meanwhile China's ambassador to Japan, Chen Jian met with a Japanese foreign ministry official and strongly protested Tokyo's approval of the offending book.
"Japan ignored the feelings of the Chinese people and approved the history textbook," Chen told vice-minister for foreign affairs Yutaka Kawashima, a ministry spokesman said.
"China is extremely angry and strongly protests against it," Chen said, demanding Tokyo revise the text book immediately.
Kawashima told Chen that Japan would continue to work closely with its neighbouring nations.
Chinese newspapers splashed stories slamming Japan's blessing for the textbook, accusing Tokyo of whitewashing and excusing the atrocities committed by Japanese troops during World War II.
China summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing for talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday to discuss the issue.
In Hong Kong, a group of civil activists staged a protest and expressed fears the book could lead to a re-emergence of Japanese militarism.
Some 100 South Koreans also rallied in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, condemning Tokyo for glossing over its wrongdoings during World War II in the textbook.
Another 500 South Koreans were planning to hold a separate rally in a Seoul park later in the day and march to the Japanese embassy to deliver a letter of protest.
Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo summoned the Japanese ambassador in protest, expressing Seoul's "regret" over the book's clearance.
North Korea also denounced the textbook Tuesday, accusing Japan of "distorting" history, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.