真相箱 真相はこうだ "Now it can be told" (Truth Box): Voice of Japan via Tweeting
mainly focuses on the Japanese tweets which non-Japanese individuals may find interesting.
Twitter becomes a wonderfully effective tool only if you understand what’s tweeted.
This photo provided by a resident of Kunashiri Island shows Kang Chang Il (2nd from R), a lawmaker of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, and others visiting the island, one of four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido claimed by Japan, on May 24, 2011. The visit went ahead despite concerns expressed by the Japanese government about the ramifications it would have on the long-standing territorial dispute. (Kyodo)
Those Koreans should have figured out what repercussions their visit to Japan's territory Kunashiri Island without Japan' formal approval would have on South Korean relations with Japan. Their visit has helped the general public realize that both Koreas have been hostile to Japan and her people despite the fact that Japan has shown them its friendly gestures in a number of ways for decades.
Foreign Minister Mr. Matsumoto strongly criticized their visit at the press conference held on May 24 that he would not accept the Korean lawmakers' behavior of supporting the Russian sovereignty over Kunashiri Island. He earlier expressed his regret during the meeting with the Korean counterpart Kim Seong Hwan that Japan would never find it acceptable if executed by the Korean lawmakers. Kim reportedly replied to Mr. Matsumoto that the planned visit to Kunashiri would have nothing to do with South Korean government. Mr. Matsumoto declined to comment whether he would bring it up during Japan-Russia Summit scheduled at G-8 Summit in France.
The Liberal Democratic Party held its foreign affairs committee with foreign ministry officials on May 24, at which many members of the party expressed their anger over the visit and strongly criticized the Foreign Ministry for failing to stop the visit when south korean president Lee was visiting Japan. Mr. Seiichi Goto, a member of the upper house of the national Diet shouted "Aren't you really trying to protect Japan's national interests?" and poured a glass of water over them.
His act of pouring a glass of water over the Foreign Ministry officials may not be welcome but it clearly demonstrates that Japan's patience seems to be running out. South Korean government and its people will have to take its consequences.
Here is one historical fact to prove that the Russians never observe international rules, laws, agreements, etc. at all.
Potsdam Declaration was a statement issued on July 26, 1945 by Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Chiang Kai-Shek which outlined the terms of surrender for Japan as agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference.
Japan accepted every condition written therein on August 15, 1945.
We know 13 articles specifically written therein, one of which states that (9) The Japanese military forces, after being completely disarmed, shall be permitted to return to their homes with the opportunity to lead peaceful and productive lives.
The Imperial Japanese Forces disarmed themselves in Manchuria, Liáodōng Bàndăo, North Korea, South Karafuto (South Sakhalin), Chishima Retsuto (Kurils Islands) without any major resistance that could have otherwise affected Japan's acceptance of the Declaration at all.
The total number of the disarmed soldiers (including some civilians) was around 600,000 taken as POWs (although Japan has never regarded them as POWs but abductees). They faced forced labors in the Soviet Union, Mongolia, the territories occupied by the Soviet Union.
More than 60,000 abductees lost their lives during their confinement in the forced labor camps. Their confinement lasted from 4 years to 11 years. They experienced brutalities, deprivation of human rights, etc.
One example of their brutality is that the Japanese abductees were forced to work outside when temperature was -30 degrees C (=-22 degrees F) in Siberia while -35 degrees C (-31 degrees F) in Mongolia, without proper clothing and sufficient food. They were confined in poor housing conditions with no heating at all. The forced labor camp is called Лагерь in Russian.
The above alone serves to prove that the Soviet Union committed a breach of what's stated in an article (9) of the Potsdam Declaration and also of Laws and Customs of War on Land (Hague IV); October 18, 1907.
When president Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin visited Japan on October, 1993, he admitted that the Soviet Union committed a grave crime against the Japanese and expressed his deep apologies for atrocities committed by the Soviet Union.
However, no compensation for the atrocities which president Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin admitted that the Soviet Union had committed,, have been paid yet to those abductees. It is believed that he apologized simply because he wanted Japan to extend "economic and technical cooperation" to Russia to develop Siberia and Sakhalin when struggling to survive after the demise of the Soviet Union.
Watch this video in which the Japanese abductees are shown returning back to their homeland with a song titled "Ikoku no Oka", literally meaning "On a hill in the distant country" was so popular in late 1940s and 1950s in Japan.
One fact we have to keep in our mind is that the footage showing the Japanese exercising with smiles was produced by the Soviet Union for its propaganda purpose, trying to prove that they were not ill-treated.
Today Prime Minister Mr. Kan met Hokkaido Governor Ms. Harumi Takahashi and others.
During this meeting at Prime Minister's official residence, he disclosed that he had strongly criticized Russian President Mr.Dmitry Medvedev by stating that his visit to Kunashiri Island is unforgivable for the Japanese nationals.
Furthermore, Mr. Kan made it clear that he had expressed his intention to visit Russia in the not so distant future whenever situation permits.
She requested for Mr. Kan's leadership in solving the territorial issue in the earliest possible time, observing that Russian President Mr.Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Kunashiri Island has drastically impacted on the issue.
The above is a tentative translation of the article written in Japanese http://bit.ly/aCkcKv by Yomiuri Online.
My comments:
Prime Minister Mr. Kan should visit four (4) islands to show Russia how strong his determination to take back those islands from Russia is. He doesn't have to go over to Moscow to negotiate over the return of the islands back to Japan.
However, before his visit, he should abandon Japan's infamous article 9 and arm itself with nuclear arsenals to be independently developed with its advanced technology.
ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
Japan should have realized by now that development and deployment of nuclear arsenals is the only way to get back the islands stolen at gunpoint.
Four islands consisting of Kunashiri, Etorofu, Habomai and Shikotan known as Hopporyoudo in Japanese (Northern Territories in English) have been illegally occupied by Russia who invaded those islands between Aug 28 and Sept 5, 1945 after Japan officially announced its unconditional surrender to the Allied forces on Aug 15.
On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union broke the Soviet-Japan Neutrality Pact signed on April 13, 1941.
This is one of the major stumbling blocks between Japan and Russia in advancing their relations towards the conclusion of peace treaty.
