Published on: 2026-05-03
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Jakarta, May 3 /Xin Hua/ — On Sunday, the 80th anniversary of the start of the work of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East /Tokyo Trial/ is being observed. On this occasion, officials and scholars from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which became the main victim of Japan’s atrocities during World War II, called on Tokyo not to close its eyes to its own military past, and the international community to be cautious about the current resurgence of militaristic sentiments.
80 years ago, a tribunal convicted 25 Japanese war criminals of class “A,” seven of whom were sentenced to death, including the sadly famous Hideki Tojo, who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944. The Tokyo Trial, based on extensive evidence, exposed the crimes of Japanese militarism and became a landmark victory for justice over aggression.
Eight decades later, there are still doubts about whether Japan has fully reinterpreted its history and learned lessons from it. Critics point to the actions of some politicians and groups of far-right activists, including visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, distortions in history textbooks, debates about revising the pacifist constitution, and the acceleration of military expansion.
INSUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROPOSAL
A lecturer at the Indonesian University Sanata Dharma Antonius Suwarman believes that the main question is whether the process of moral reflection on the past is truly taking place.
“If a nation suppresses history, relativizes war crimes, or even glorifies criminals who committed violence, then this is a sign that the lessons of history have not truly been learned,” he said, noting that if war criminals continue to be honored without criticism, it will only inflict new wounds on the victims.
A member of Myanmar’s Historical Commission, Myint Tain, stated that Japanese political leaders and lawmakers, openly visiting Yasukuni Shrine, ignore the sufferings of Asian countries that were once subjected to brutal invasion, and such actions can be considered as ‘steps towards the revival of militaristic sentiments in modern Japan.’
“This indicates that in Japan, and especially in the ruling party, there is a growing movement to whitewash their history at the same time as they are carrying out remilitarization,” emphasized the national chairman of the Australian Civil Party, Robert Barvik.
According to Senior State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore Sim Ann, Singapore recognizes that the seriousness of the damage and suffering caused by Japan during World War II continues to create complex historical problems in some parts of Asia. Singapore hopes that Japan will contemplate how it could resolve these lingering problems, added the official.
NEW REGIONAL SECURITY THREAT
Commenting on Japan’s current manner of downplaying or denying its own history of aggression, a Malaysian scholar, member of the expert committee of the Center for Strategic Regional Studies Jitkai Chin stated that the absence of historical reflection can lead to cognitive distortions, weakened mutual trust, and exacerbation of regional security problems.
According to him, mistaken steps can be interpreted as a denial of historical facts, causing dissatisfaction in neighboring countries and leading to diplomatic friction and strategic miscalculations.
Anna Malindog-Uy, Vice President of the Manila-based Philippine Institute for Strategic Studies “Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress,” said that recent incidents involving unlawful behavior by military personnel and the rise of right-wing sentiments in Japan inevitably increase regional tension.
“In a region where historical memory remains deeply rooted, even symbolic actions acquire extreme significance, and the shadow of the Second World War still defines the Philippines’ attitude towards Japan’s military development,” she noted.
The Philippine Star newspaper commentator Wilson Lee Flores stated that atrocities such as the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre were generalized in the Tokyo Trial, so many of the direct perpetrators escaped punishment.
Precisely because the Tokyo trial did not provide full retribution, Japanese far-right figures after the war were able to return to politics, believes the head of the Korea-China Association of Friendship of Cities, Kwon Ki Sik.
“They arbitrarily claim that Japan was a victim and mislead Japanese public opinion. Being the perpetrator, Japan pretended to be a victim and armed itself with a new militarism, which has since developed to such an extent that it poses a direct threat to peace and stability in East Asia. This really causes regret and concern,” he emphasized.
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