Japan plans to abandon pacifist consititution
Wednesday September 27, 06:53 PM
Japan's new PM determined to rewrite pacifist constitution
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has put rewriting the US-imposed pacifist constitution at the top of his agenda, a move that could lead to a more active military role overseas but alarm neighboring countries.
Abe, who took office Tuesday as Japan's first prime minister born after World War II, has been vague on much of his platform but has passionately vowed to revise the constitution, saying he wanted to "write it with my own hand."
"I belong to the post-World War II generation. The era dominated by the preconceived idea that the constitution should never be changed is over," Abe said during the campaign.
But experts said the process of rewriting the constitution would likely be slow and methodical as Abe seeks to win over skeptics both at home and abroad.
Abe himself turned more cautious as it became certain he would succeed Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister.
Asian neighbours reacted to the election of Abe, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said Seoul will resume summits with Japan if the new administration "squarely addresses" that country's historical legacy.
In the transcript of an interview released Wednesday by Seoul's foreign ministry, he made it clear the key to better relations was how Japan treated its 20th century militaristic past.
"We sincerely hope that Prime Minister Abe will learn lessons from what has transpired from Prime Minister (Junichiro) Koizumi's administration," he said.
"That means he should squarely address the past history legacy issue, and then we are prepared to have all sorts of high level exchanges and meetings including summit meetings," he told Japan's Kyodo news.
The election dominated China's state-run press with dailies cautioning that Japan's war past remained a political obstacle to better bilateral ties.
"Even though Abe is expressing that he wants to improve Asian diplomacy ... it must be said that the obstacles to Sino-Japanese political relations have not been cleared up," the leading People's Daily said in an editorial.
"The concerns and worries over the direction of Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors continue to leave many people unsettled."
China and South Korea, which suffered under Japanese imperialism, had refused to meet Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, due to his visits to the Yasukuni war shrine that is associated with Japan's militarist past.
To read the full article from 7 News, click on:
7 News
Japan's new PM determined to rewrite pacifist constitution
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has put rewriting the US-imposed pacifist constitution at the top of his agenda, a move that could lead to a more active military role overseas but alarm neighboring countries.
Abe, who took office Tuesday as Japan's first prime minister born after World War II, has been vague on much of his platform but has passionately vowed to revise the constitution, saying he wanted to "write it with my own hand."
"I belong to the post-World War II generation. The era dominated by the preconceived idea that the constitution should never be changed is over," Abe said during the campaign.
But experts said the process of rewriting the constitution would likely be slow and methodical as Abe seeks to win over skeptics both at home and abroad.
Abe himself turned more cautious as it became certain he would succeed Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister.
Asian neighbours reacted to the election of Abe, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said Seoul will resume summits with Japan if the new administration "squarely addresses" that country's historical legacy.
In the transcript of an interview released Wednesday by Seoul's foreign ministry, he made it clear the key to better relations was how Japan treated its 20th century militaristic past.
"We sincerely hope that Prime Minister Abe will learn lessons from what has transpired from Prime Minister (Junichiro) Koizumi's administration," he said.
"That means he should squarely address the past history legacy issue, and then we are prepared to have all sorts of high level exchanges and meetings including summit meetings," he told Japan's Kyodo news.
The election dominated China's state-run press with dailies cautioning that Japan's war past remained a political obstacle to better bilateral ties.
"Even though Abe is expressing that he wants to improve Asian diplomacy ... it must be said that the obstacles to Sino-Japanese political relations have not been cleared up," the leading People's Daily said in an editorial.
"The concerns and worries over the direction of Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors continue to leave many people unsettled."
China and South Korea, which suffered under Japanese imperialism, had refused to meet Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, due to his visits to the Yasukuni war shrine that is associated with Japan's militarist past.
To read the full article from 7 News, click on:
7 News
posted by Pax Christi @ Saturday, October 14, 2006
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