Opinion
UPDATED: 16:24, June 08, 2004
Japan should heed Germany's actions
As a country that led Europe into catastrophe during World War II, Germany has already procured itself a high degree of trust and reconciliation with its former victims through its sincere and soul-searching remorse over its past crimes.
Germany's reconciliation with France and other countries that fell victim to Germany's wartime aggression culminated on Sunday when Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
Schroeder was the first German Chancellor invited to commemorate the D-Day landings that hastened the victory of the Allied Forces and led to the collapse of the Adolf Hitler-led Nazi regime.
The fact that the victors and the vanquished stood together at the ceremony in the spirit of candidness and open-mindedness signals that both, especially the latter, have shown enormous courage in reflecting on the past.
In his speech, Schroeder expressed deep remorse over Germany's World War II wrongdoings to France and other European nations. He said his country would never forget its debt and vowed to closely team up with France in the pursuit of peace.
Schroeder called Hitler's defeat in the decisive Normandy Campaign as a victory for Germany, and said the Allies liberated not only France but also his own country.
Schroeder deserves admiration for his courage to acknowledge his country's past sins in such an emboldened and undisguised manner.
Japan would do well to learn from Germany's example.
A number of Asian countries suffered untold hardships thanks to Japan's aggression during World War II, and all have been waiting for similar apologies from Tokyo.
But Japan has held a completely different attitude towards its past crimes from those the Germans have put forth.
It has never conducted a deep self-reflection on its past atrocities. Its high-profile officials have continuously visited the Yasukuni Shrine which honours Japanese Class-A war criminals.
Germany's rehabilitation of its ties with its former enemies shows that only an honest attitude toward history can win reconciliation with its victims and then integrate a nation into the global community.
Source: China Daily
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